Fortunately, I was snatched out of the air by Thor himself before my body could make contact with the concrete. When my feet touched the ground, Thor patted my shoulder gently and flew to the top of the tower as I unsheathed my scimitars. With a cry of anguish, I charged at the nearest chitauri and thrust one scimitar neatly through his head.
When the body fell, Steve came into view in the distance. After giving Stark tower a forlorn glance, I turned back to the fight and began gracefully slicing through the bodies of aliens in order to reach the others. When I finally reached my destination, Banner had arrived and Stark warned us of an incoming giant alien mother which would most likely just plow through all of us.
"I'm bringing the party to you," he warned.
"Thanks Stark, but I really do not wish to attend your party," I shouted into the radio.
As the giant beast turned the corner, the blood drained from my face and I no longer heard the others discussing any plan.
"Oh my god," I murmured, my arms dropping like led to my side as I realized that I was the closes to the incoming monster.
Banner stepped in front of me and began to transform into the Hulk when suddenly I was snatched into the air by a chitauri ship. When I regained my senses, I realized that Loki had been the one to pull me away from the beast. Although, Banner took out the alien quite quickly and I was suddenly aware that perhaps I was in more danger now than I had been before.
"Loki, please let me down," I asked quietly, wrapping my arms around his waist as he took a sharp turn and landed upon a nearby building.
When we were settled I took a tentative step from the ship onto the roof of the building, never taking my eyes off of the tense god before me.
"Loki look what you are doing," I pleaded, gesturing to the city below us which was quite literally up in flames.
"I can't stop it-" he choked, his gaze rising to meet my own before he too looked upon the damage he had brought upon New York.
"This is not entirely your fault Loki, I can help you. Find me if you choose to allow me to do so, because together we can stop this," I said hopefully, striding over to plant a gently kiss on his cheek while also gently taking his hand into my own.
He stared at me helplessly but gave my hand a tight squeeze before releasing me and allowing me to leap off of the building to save a group of citizens who had been cornered by chitauri. I managed to clear the street and free the civilians but when I looked back up, the god was gone. With a sigh, I returned to the base of Stark tower. Once there, hordes of the aliens came upon me. In every one I was only able to see the face of the purple monster who had taken over the mind of my closest friend, and with that thought in mind I wiped out waves of the chitauri until the heap of bodies around me nearly held me prisoner.
"Thanos! I know you can hear me, keep your grimy hands off of this planet!" I screeched, twirling around in a dangerous spiral as yet another alien cautiously approached only to end up as another body upon the pile.
When the street was finally clear, a familiar voice rang out clearly. I glanced up to see Loki, his eyes now a sickly blue and his face sheet white.
"You called?" he teased before beckoning me over while flying up Stark tower on a ship.
With a grunt, I teleported to the top of the tower where Loki was once again waiting for me, his eyes still evident of the fact that he no longer inhabited his own mind.
"Fight it Loki," I whispered quietly, my strength a bit lessened after teleporting.
"Your pleads fall upon deaf ears. This insolent creature is loyal only to me. I assure you that even if you and your friends win this fight, there will be no place your precious Loki can hide where I will not find him. He will be punished, then I will come to Earth myself," he warned, but his words were only those of Thanos.
"Loki," I pleaded for a final time as I saw the Hulk approaching from behind the oblivious god who held his scepter towards me threateningly.
A malevolent grin crossed Loki's face and I sighed before taking a step back which Hulk took as a signal to let out a deafening roar. I watched forlornly as he was slammed into the ground like a rag doll and after a few moments, I walked up to the Hulk with my arms out in front of me in a gesture for peace.
"Hulk, that's enough. Please go smash another alien for now. Thank you," I said carefully, gesturing outside where another of the giant space worm creatures was crashing through the streets.
The Hulk nodded and dropped the god before smashing through the window, leaving Loki in a crater his body had made in the floor. As the god groaned in pain, I slid the scepter away from him before kneeling beside him.
"Loki, I need you to help me end this. How do I deactivate the tesseract?" I pleaded as Tony warned us of an incoming missile.
"Loki please," I begged, a tear escaping my eye to run down my cheek as the god stared back up at me as though in a daze.
"I've got a nuke coming in. It's gonna blow in less than a minute," Stark called out.
"I know just where to put it," he added, making me jump slightly.
"Tony that's a one way trip," I warned, my voice shaking as I still attempted to wake a groaning Loki from his daze.
"The scepter," Loki coughed, bringing my attention back to him as he attempted to get up.
"Is that Reindeer Games?" Stark questioned.
I quickly surveyed the god's mind in an attempt to check for Thanos but was greeted with only a slight presence which Loki and I were able to quickly eradicate. Apparently, Hulk had done the job of weakening Thanos' hold on the god enough for us to finish it.
"Yes Stark. I think he can close this damn portal."
"Help me?" Loki asked cautiously as I stood.
After glancing over his beaten form, I carefully helped the god to his feet and held the scepter in hand. Once I ensured that Loki was able to hold some of his own weight, I teleported us to the very top of the building where Selvig and Natasha were waiting beside the tesseract. Unfortunately, the use of my powers rendered me exhausted and I was barely able to take a step without collapsing.
"Careful," Loki scolded, barely able to keep his own balance let alone hold me up as we swayed together under the confused gaze of the two humans.
"He can close it," I informed, finding the strength to shuffle forward while still bearing some of Loki's weight.
"Damn you're heavy," I complained, just as Stark disappeared into the portal.
Loki took the scepter from my hands but still supported me when I tripped once again.
"Don't impale yourself. This will close it but I assume you wish to wait for the tin man to return," he noted, looking up with the rest of us as a large explosion could be seen on the other end of the gateway.
"Close it," Steve said finally.
"Loki-" I started, but the god had heard the radio order and sent the scepter through the machine with ease.
The god quickly released the weapon and backed away, considering Natasha for a moment as he was fully hit with the severity of his actions.
"Odin will have my head," he muttered.
"You did nearly destroy the city, but I will not let him kill you for this. It was not entirely your fault, however; you never should have made a deal with that grape in the first place," I said comfortingly, grabbing his hand and squeezing it before my gaze shot up to the sky when I heard Steve's voice once again.
"Son of a bitch."
Stark had made it back through the portal, but was falling to Earth at a terrifying speed.
"Thor?" I questioned, hoping that the god would be able to stop Tony's fall.
Before he could do anything, the Hulk leapt into the air and caught the billionaire. I held my breath as he landed and began heading down to where the rest of the Avengers waited. Natasha and Selvig walked ahead while Loki and I slowly made our way down the stairs.
"Thank you," Loki said quietly, catching my arm before we could follow Black Widow and the doctor out of the building.
"You're welcome. I only wish I had been able to help you sooner," I sighed before gently pressing my lips against his, knowing that soon we would both be back on Asgard but he would be in a cell.
The god responded immediately, his hands finding their way to my waist and his lips moving fervently against my own. The kiss was full of desperation and was soon deepened when Loki ran his tongue over my bottom lip questioningly. Without hesitation, I gave in and allowed his tongue to gently graze the inside of my mouth as I ran my fingers through his hair. This only continued for a few minutes before I pulled away, a look of guilt on my face as I stared into the eyes of the man who had recently been trying to take over the planet.
"Come on," I sighed, taking his hand into my own reassuringly before tugging him along behind me.
His grip on my hand tightened immediately when we left the building and stood before the Avengers who all held their weapons towards Loki threateningly, other than Stark who remained on the ground in his suit and stared up at us. Quietly, I stepped in front of the god to gain their attention.
"I assume Thor would have Loki taken back to Asgard. He is of no threat to you anymore, Banner managed to hit him hard enough to weaken Thanos' control so that we could destroy it. Either way he will pay for his crimes, but not here. The tesseract must return as well," I announced, staring upon the weary faces of my friends.
"How do we know you aren't lying?" Clint questioned, his bow still raised.
"Loki closed the portal," Natasha responded monotonously, causing the man to lower his weapon grudgingly.
With one fluid movement, I turned and cuffed Loki's hands together with shackles that would limit his ability to use his powers. The action made him roll his eyes in displeasure.
"We both know you would have tried to escape," I responded before gently nudging him towards his brother.
The sight of Thor made Loki's eyes darken, but he gave no verbal complaint as the god of thunder looked down at him disapprovingly. It was only an hour later when the three of us bid farewell to the Avengers and returned to Asgard where Loki would be given his sentence. I could only hope that the Allfather would believe me.