PART FOUR
Influence

"Can you stand?" Loki asked as he extended a hand to the newly converted Dr. Banner.

"I'll try," Bruce said, his voice calm with just a twinge of pain. He reached up and took Loki's hand, and the god lifted him to his feet.

"Thank you, sir," Bruce said as he regained his footing, and Loki nodded, then made his way towards Steve. He phased away his helmet and chest armor as he walked, seeing no more threats in his vicinity.

The Captain was struggling to stand up, one hand grasping at his shield while the other lightly held the back of his head. His vision was swimming. He could feel blood running down the nape of his neck.

"Stay.. away," he tried to threaten as he saw Loki approaching in his blurry vision. When Loki kept coming towards him, he waited until the god looked to be near enough, then tried to swing his shield as best he could. But Loki sidestepped the slow attack, then ripped Steve's shield from his arm and tossed it aside.

"Guhh," Steve grunted as he tried to punch Loki instead, but the god caught his fist and shoved it back.

"AH!" Steve cried out in pain as he was made to fall backwards again, his head bumping against the ground. "Ghh.. g-get back," he warned weakly through gritted teeth. He could barely see Loki bending over him, and couldn't fight as the god ripped the blue mask off of his head.

"You have heart.. But it will not save you now." Loki pressed the blade of his scepter against Steve's chest, digging through his thin armor with the sharp tip. "Shall I end your suffering?"

Steve snarled and shook his head, then groaned at the pain the small motion caused. Blood dripped from the wound on the back of his head. He knew he was seriously injured.

He opened his eyes a sliver. "No," he still tried to resist, but felt the sharp blade starting to puncture the skin above his sternum. "S-stop.."

"Stop? Do you want to live? Tell me."

Steve felt sleep overtaking him, but he knew he had to fight it. He wanted to live. He had to help the Avengers. Was Loki going to kill him here and now? Was he just playing with him?

"L..live," Steve breathed desperately, and instantly felt the pain at his chest decrease. But then a new sort of pain overtook him, blooming at his heart and sending a cold rush up to his head. It almost felt good as it dulled the pain...

Loki converted Captain America quickly, the influence settling into his damaged head with ease. He watched the superhuman's eyes flit open for a moment, gleaming their new color, before Steve lost consciousness.

"Banner," Loki called, and Bruce walked over to him, eyeing Steve on the ground. "Will he die from that bump to the head?"

"Most likely not. From what I know, this guy has taken worse of a beating before… But it'd be best not to move him if it's a concussion."

"And what of Iron Man?"

Bruce walked over to where Tony lay, still squirming a little on the pavement.

"Don't move, you'll make it worse," Bruce warned.

Tony's eyes had filled with tears, his brow furrowed as he looked up at his friend and tried to understand why Bruce wasn't helping him.

"He'll live for a few more minutes, but he needs medical attention soon if he's going to last any longer," Bruce told Loki as the god walked over to them.

"I'm not sure I want him to live," Loki said as he nudged the end of his scepter into the bleeding gash in Tony' armor. Tony let out a soft wheeze of pain.

"Can I remove the armor without killing him?"

"If you do it carefully… but it'll take some force, that suit is-"

Loki wedged his hands into the opening in Tony's armor plating, and ripped the suit apart slowly, then threw the pieces aside.

"Khh," Tony coughed at being jostled, blood splattering his lips.

"Ugh," Loki grimaced as he inspected the damage he inflicted on the man under the suit. Tony's shirt was ripped open from his abs to his collarbone, in a ragged diagonal line, more skewed at the point where it had grazed the Arc Reactor embedded near his heart. The gash was wide and deep, bleeding continuously.

"Now," Loki said as he brought his scepter to rest gently on Tony's dimly glowing heart, "Let us try this once more."