Sorry for my updates taking so long. I'm working on my very first cosplay costume ever, so I'm kinda busy. But I try to write in between going to work and sewing and playing SW:TOR. LOL!
A note to reader Chloe: I honestly don't usually like mpreg stories either, and this story originally was not going to be like this. I changed a lot from my original ideas, and I'm pretty proud of the outcome so I'm very excited that you like it. Thank you for reading and the comment! I love hearing from my readers.
ENJOY!
Chapter 3 – Eyes on Fire and Blood for Water
There's an edge to the wind,
Cutting into my skin,
And the air's like an icicle,
As the night starts to fall,
And there's no one around,
My ears strain for a sound,
As I search through these canyons,
So cold and so tall,
Armageddon,
Oh no,
Armageddon,
It came too soon.
In this city so proud,
Full of noises and crowds,
This once was a monument,
Now it's a grave,
And they warned us about,
When reason gave out,
Now it's too late for miracles,
There's nothing to save,
Armageddon,
Oh no,
Armageddon,
It came too soon.
– Planet P Project, "Armageddon"
The Avengers made themselves at home on the Helicarrier as much as they could. Tony was in perpetual shock, he did nothing but stare off into the walls, frozen in catatonic heartbreak. Loki tried to make him eat, but he won't even look at Loki let only eat or sleep. Loki went to Thor finally,
"Listen to me." He demanded in a broken voice, heavy with emotional exhaustion, "I'm leaving." This got Thor's attention,
"What?" he barked in an angry whisper. Loki held up a hand to silence him,
"It's obvious that we can't defeat Doom like this. I need more power…" he looked at the floor as his mind wandered for a moment, "…and I'm going to go get it. There are few magics out there that I don't know, and that's because they're forbidden. But I could care less anymore. Tony's dead with heartbreak and fear, and my baby daughter is in the hands of a madman." He looked up at Thor again and Thor saw that fire in his eyes again. Like wildfire it burned, threatening to break its threshold and consume everything in its path. Thor knew he couldn't fight it back, so he nodded in understanding,
"You do what you need to. I'll watch over Tony, I promise." He said with a sad smile and a loving hand placed upon his little brother's shoulder.
"Thank you." Loki responded with no emotion in return then turned on his heel and headed for the elevator to the landing pad.
Loki had stepped out into the cool night air and ripped a portal open in the fabric of Earth's dimension. At the other side of this portal was a pit of fire. A desert of red rock that stretched on for eternity, pits of flames blazed in scattered spot, lakes of lava bubbled in the cracks of the dry, dead dirt. He climbed a slight hill and stood above the land. The smoke that served for air burned his lungs and choked him, but he ignored it and took a deep breath,
"SURTUR!" he screamed and listened as his voice echoed off of nothing and reverberated into the distant darkness. A shadow passed over the land and a giant seemed to materialize from the smoke,
"Liesmith…" came a deep hiss in the air and the hair upon the back of Loki's neck went up, "Why have you come here? You are not welcome, little maggot." Surtur growled. Loki smiled like he was greeting a long lost friend,
"I come seeking…education." He explained as he began to slowly pace, "I am a God of Fire, but my fire is nothing compared to yours…" he turned to the towering red demon with a stern gaze, "Teach me." He demanded. Surtur seemed to consider this for a moment,
"No." was his final response before he raised his Twilight Sword to smash Loki into the rocks. Loki teleported from the danger,
"Now that is just rude." He commented playfully, "Come now, you didn't even let me do my monologue." He teleported again as the sword came down a second time, "You mean you don't like listening to me talk as much as I do?" he laughed. Surtur stopped when it was obvious that he wasn't going to be able to hit Loki.
"Then speak, little maggot." He barked in annoyance. Loki bowed in mock appreciation,
"I need your power, demon. And I demand that you teach me. Please." He made sure to not sound like he was begging, even though he was. Surtur narrowed his eyes at Loki,
"For what purpose would you use this power, Trickster?" he asked coolly. Loki poured all his emotion into his eyes and leveled his gaze with Surtur the best he could,
"To save the people that I love." He answered honestly. And Surtur believed him, for he saw a potential in Loki, a greatness that had yet to be released. Much to Loki's surprise Surtur snorted in approval,
"Very well…" He turned to the horizon and beckoned for Loki to follow, "But the journey will be long…and the lesson will be painful…you will suffer…" he explained with a great sense of foreboding. Loki chuckled as he floated gracefully along Surtur's side,
"So cliché! It's always the same, let's just get it over with." He said. Surtur glanced down at him,
"Hmph! And I will be hoping that you don't survive the rebirth, little maggot. T'would be a good service to the universe." He grumbled. Loki laughed humorlessly,
"Get in line, big fella." Surtur's words then quirked his interest, "Wait…rebirth?" he inquired. Surtur nodded,
"T'will be a death by fire…and a rebirth…the Cycle of The Phoenix…'tis the truest and most powerful fire…" he explained, "And will make you truly immortal…death will only bring you back to life…refreshed and renewed…" Loki's eyebrows went up with excitement,
"Well…" He purred, "That's worth a look." He grinned. Surtur sent Loki searching across the stars to retrieve ingredients and artifacts that would be required for a cleansing ceremony. Then he made Loki fight his demon minions, a never ending battle, till Loki had run out of all energy and finally collapsed. His armor was still burning in patches upon him. He smelled his own seared flesh as he laid face down on the ground.
"Good." Surtur commented from his perch among the mountains, "You are ready…" he rose to his feet. Loki snorted into the dirt and spit out blood,
"'Bout fucking time…" He grumbled and forced himself unto his knees with a painful grunt. He watched Surtur raise an arm to the sky then a shrill caw was heard, reminiscent of Thor's omen thunder. Next Loki saw a great bird, wings of fire that spanned a terrifying length, and it landed upon the dirt in front of him.
"This…" Surtur explained, "…is Sol. She is the last of her kind. She is going to kill you, and honor you with a piece of her heart…her power." The bird, the phoenix Sol, looked down at Loki and he could see her pain, feel her loneliness. They were similar in that aspect, outsiders that never knew where to fit in, too different to ever be considered beautiful. He smiled at her, then put his arms out, closing his eyes and tilting his head back, welcoming her…welcoming death…again. He didn't know what he'd expected but he was sure that what happened wasn't what he'd expected. Sol leaned forward and pressed her forehead to Loki's, and the breath was snatched out of him. His body was gone, numb, lost in the abyss somewhere, but his soul burned. It was more pain than he'd ever felt, yet no pain at all, like his soul was being shredded by searing claws that were so quick there was no pain. The pain came with the realization that it should hurt. He saw nothing, but then everything. But what was everything? Then he saw a woman, she was pure light, a white star in the black water. She floated effortless to him, and he realized strangely that he was looking at himself, like a movie. She held both her hands against her heart for a moment then pulled them away and held them out to Loki. He looked at her hands as she opened her fingers and revealed a single flame. It was bright orange and so very alive. She held it out to him and it floated in her palms, suspended before him. He reached out, his finger came within an inch of the little flame, and it turned black. He pulled his hand away in surprise, and looked up to the woman's faceless face, but the lady of light didn't react. He reached for the still black flame, this time with his palm up, and the shining lady dropped it unto his hand. He flinched, but then cradled the baby flame between his own hands. The black flame surged, consuming his arm suddenly, and then all of him before he could react. He was brought back to reality with a gasping breath, like he'd just emerged from the bottom of the sea. He clutched his chest and shivered involuntarily as he tried to even his breathing and push away the pain. Every nerve was alive and screaming. He held out his hand, the one that had touched the flame first, and turned it around like it was something new. He twiddling his fingers experimentally and watched flickers of black flame dance between his digits like it was alive on its own.
"Interesting…" he whispered to himself. He looked up to see Surtur standing a distance away, staring sadly at a pile of ash that was where Sol had been. Loki's brow scrunched in curious confusion.
"She will live on in you…until she is reborn…" Surtur said mournfully. Loki rose to his feet and dusted off.
"Well, then if we are done here. I must be going. I have more trouble to start elsewhere." He smiled, full of chagrin.
"I know not what your journey is, Laufeyson, but you have proven worthy in my eyes. Not many can survive this trial, but your soul is strong, and your heart is honest…for once. I wish you good luck in saving your loved ones." Surtur bowed to Loki and Loki returned the gesture,
"You honor me, great Surtur. Thank you for your help." He waved his hand, opening another portal and stepped through. He came to a swamp with a single hutch built atop a hill between three trees that looked like upturned claws. He walked toward the hutch, something tingled in the air around him and he stopped in his tracks then glanced down at his feet. An inch from his toes he saw a crude circle scratched into the sand, a ward, to kill anything that came near. He knew he couldn't break the seal, for it was placed here by his former teacher.
"Come to procreate more Hel-spawn with me?" came a shrill voice from beyond the barrier.
"Not if you were the last corpse in the universe, Angrboda." Loki replied. He heard a cackle, like a crows caw, then a woman materialized from the air in front of him. She stood just on the other side of the barrier. Despite what the rumors spoke of Angrboda, she was beautiful, but she was more bird than woman, and more corpse than bird. She featured a pale face, thin cheeks, narrow nose and a pinched upper lip, framed by sleek black hair and feathers that grew from her hairline. Talons for fingernails and black feathers in patches replaced the hair on her arms. She wore close to no clothing, but that was typical. Loki knew that no heart beat in her chest and if you cut her arm off it wouldn't bleed, she would simply pick the arm up and place it back together. She was a wicked abomination, created from an eternity of forbidden black magic and self-mutilations and experiments. Angrboda's favorite lab rat was herself. Until she met Loki, then it was the beautiful little, sad boy that became her toy, till she twisted him into her own image and eventually got bored of him.
"So what has brought you to my home again, starling?" she chirped cheerfully, using a name that only she held for Loki and that he hadn't heard in a very long time. She cocked her head, turning her ear to the sky, as if voices from above were speaking to her, "Oh…" she purred, "But I know what you want…" she turned from him and started walking away.
"Then you know I don't take no for an answer." Loki responded. She chuckled,
"Of course." She said and Loki felt the tingling of the ward dissipate. He stepped over the circle in the sand and followed her to her hut. "I knew you were coming…I planned ahead…" she cooed, waving her talons for Loki to follow. She brought him to a cauldron that was brewing over a green fire. Loki raised an eyebrow at the pot of bubbling red liquid. Angrboda dipped her fingers in the thick liquid then stuck her fingers in her mouth, sucking hungrily and licking between each digit. She smiled at him,
"Blood." She told him, "It's what you want…my Blood Magic…" Loki nodded once, "Then you will drink…" she gestured to the pot. Loki's face twisted in obvious disgust, "'Tis the blood squeezed from a thousand dragon hearts." She explained as she ladled the blood into a shallow bowl, then she held it out to Loki, "Drink." She ordered. Loki's eyes flickered between her face and the bowl of blood for a minute then he reluctantly took the clay bowl in his hands. She watched eagerly, yellow eyes unblinking. Loki scrunched his nose and frowned at the red liquid. He closed his eyes and quickly poured the warm fluid down his throat. It took every muscle in him to not vomit it back up. He dropped the bowl as he clamped both hands over his mouth and forced his stomach to stop heaving. When he was finally relaxed again he ran the back of his hand over his mouth to wipe away any blood that had escaped his mouth. Angrboda was grinning with uncontainable excitement.
"Good…" she chirped and gestured to the vat again, "More." She told him. Loki looked at her like she'd turned into a newt,
"You must be kidding." He said, and his stomach heaved just looking at the rest of the bubbling blood. She shook her head,
"You will not have the power you seek until you drink all of it." She told him as she sat down upon a tree stump and stared at him expectantly. She was enjoying this too much. Loki groaned, but picked the clay bowl up off the ground and dipped it in the cauldron, filling it again. He took a deep breath then did just as he had before, tossing his head back like he was taking shots of liquor. He'd hoped that the more he drank the easier it would get, but he was wrong, it was the exact opposite. Angrboda laughed her crows' cackle when he finally doubled over, heaving all over the dirt painfully. He moaned and wondered if this stupid witch was just fucking with him. She waved her hand, gesturing for him to continue. He growled at her but filled the bowl again. By the time he'd gotten halfway through the cauldron of blood he could feel what was really going on. There was power in this blood, that was obvious, and it was working its way through him, mixing with his own blood. It was changing him. Into what, he was afraid to know, but he continued to force it down his throat. If this was the sort of thing that Angrboda did to herself in order to be as powerful as she was, then it was no wonder why she was insane. Loki himself wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. It became a vicious cycle, forcefully swallowing only to painfully heave a second later.
"Gosh, after all that time spent as my apprentice I thought you'd have a stronger stomach." Angrboda teased. Loki spat the blood in her face and she giggled. He trembled on his knees, pain from all the heaving wracked his body, sweat dripped off his chin and made his hair stick to his face. Angrboda knelt down in front of him, holding the bowl out.
"This is all you have left." She told him, and her voice was soft, sympathetic even. He took the bowl eagerly and drank it down with blissful relief, thankful to be done with this trial. He didn't vomit, but suddenly his veins were on fire, like searing lava had been poured into them. He gasped in pain. Angrboda was pulling him to his feet. She dragged him through the forest for what felt like forever, each step setting his veins ablaze even more. Finally she stopped walking and shoved him with all her strength. His eyes went wide as he found himself slipping, falling off an edge that he hadn't known was there. Panic instinctively took over and his hands clutched at empty air for a leverage to stop his momentum. Her yellow birds' eyes just watched from above as he plummeted. He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for an impact that he knew was inevitable. Then everything was cold…and wet. He touched soft dirt and pushed himself back up. He emerged gasping and realized with surprise that there was a small waterfall to his left. He looked up at the cliff face where Angrboda had been, but she was gone.
"Scared you, didn't I?" she chirped from behind. He whirled around to see her standing upon the water, grinning down at him. He ran a hand through his soaked hair as he treaded water and blinked the startled confusion away. He swam past her and pulled himself onto the river bank with a grunt, wet leather and metal was not fun. He laid upon the dirt and stared at the grey sky, taking deep breaths. Angrboda's head popped into his frame of view and she was cocking her gaze at him again. He sat up and sighed.
"Are we finished?" he asked.
"Perhaps…" she answered, her back now turned to him as she played with bugs in the sand. Loki pulled himself to his feet and dried off with the wave of his hand.
"Quit with your games witch." He barked. She chuckled,
"You're one to talk, argr." She giggled and rose to her feet, turning to face him as she chewed on a spider crab that she'd just dug up, "And what if I told you that you have to mate with a cave troll in order to complete this ritual?" she was grinning like a maniac. He snorted,
"I'd say I've already done that." He hissed in her ear as he walked past her. She actually looked offended for a second but followed him anyways.
"Alright, I'll tell you the truth." She cooed, "There's only one thing you must do to seal the ritual and then you'll be able to use Blood Magic…" Loki glanced at her expectantly from the corner of his eye as he headed back toward her hutch. She grinned again, like she was about to jump up and scream "surprise!"
"You must drink the pure blood of an Aesir…a child of Bor…" She giggled. And there was the surprise, Loki thought. Loki stopped walking and turned to her,
"And where did you get such blood?" he asked her. She shrugged innocently,
"I have my ways, just as you do." She said. Loki narrowed his eyes at her before continuing to walk up the hillside,
"What happens after I drink this blood?" he asked. She leaned into his ear, running her tongue along the soft cartilage,
"You'll feel it…" she hissed, but when Loki turned to look at her she vanished. Black feathers and smoke danced in the wind where she had stood and Loki knew he wouldn't find her back at her hutch. She was gone. And good riddance, he thought. He hated the idea of asking Thor for something so deranged, but he knew he could count on Thor to do it, even though he won't want to. And Thor was a direct descendent of Bor, so his blood would work. Loki opened another portal back to Earth and stepped into the living area of the Helicarrier. His eyes went wide and his shoulders dropped as he looked around. He ran to the window and looked out over Manhattan. It was picturesque of Armageddon. Miles of city reduced to rubble, the sky was a dusky shade of rust, and you could hear the screams of people on the street.
"What in Odin's name…?" he whispered in shock. Suddenly a group of Doombots flew by the window. Loki heard a sound from his left and turned just in time to see a fist of red, white, and blue hit him in the face. He stumbled backward and shook his head in surprise. He looked up to see Steven come at him again, fist raised for a second blow,
"YOU BASTARD!" He screamed and pounded Loki into the ground, "YOU LEFT US! YOU LEFT US ALL TO DIE!" he kicked Loki in the ribs then punched his face into the metal floor again. Loki finally got himself together in time to react, he teleported to the other side of the room and threw up his hands,
"Steven, STOP! WAIT!" he said but then sighed when he saw the patriotic shield flying at him. He put his hand out and caught the shield in midair. He threw it up and it stuck into the ceiling with an awful sound of metal shredding metal. Loki blinked and Steve was paralyzed in mid-charge,
"Steve! Will you quit it!" he stepped up to Steve, who glared at him with the force to kill. Loki sighed again, glancing out the window for a minute before looking at Steven, "How long have I been gone?" he asked. Steve snorted like a raging bull,
"FOUR YEARS! Four years, Loki! For four years we've wondered where you went and if you'd ever come back…if you'd ever…come save us…" he trailed off, voice weak, as tears welled in his eyes. Loki stared at him in horror,
"Four…what…?" his eyes flickered across the image outside the window, "Doom…he took over." He whispered.
"No." Steve barked. "We'd never let that happen. But he sure is giving it a hell of a fight." Loki looked back at him,
"What happened?" he asked, eyes shining the greenest shades of regret. Steve sighed,
"After Tony…after we all… found out you'd left…we didn't take it well, but Tony couldn't take it at all. He lost it…completely. We had to put him in a hospital! A mental hospital! He's still there now… But the whole thing was all over the news…Doom knew you were gone, and he took advantage of that. Then they came out of the woodworks like termites…everywhere. We had no idea…" his gaze clouded over as he became lost in a distant memory, he came back a minute later and looked at Loki, "He had millions of bots…under the ground. How could he have hid this so well for so long?" Loki had no answered for him.
"And my daughter?" he inquired. Steve shook his head,
"We have no idea. We haven't seen her…" he confessed.
"Thor?" Loki asked. Steve nodded,
"He's still fighting. We've all been fighting nonstop." He explained. Loki released him from the stasis,
"I'm so sorry, Steven. I had no idea I'd be gone for so long. Time passes differently among the different realms. I should have paid better attention…" he pinched the bridge of his nose mournfully.
"It doesn't matter now. Just please tell me you've come back with bigger guns. We need serious power and we need it now." Captain America took the place of Steve Rogers, all business of war. Loki nodded,
"Absolutely. But I need to see Thor first." he said. Steve nodded and pulled his shield out of the ceiling.
"He's down in the city. Come on." He stepped into the elevator and Loki followed. The streets were warzones, pedestrians huddled in makeshift shelters while SHIELD and army men fired away at robots that seemed to never stop coming from the sky. Loki saw the eyes on him as he walked to the front line alongside Captain America.
"Is that Loki?"
"Loki?"
"He's back!"
"Loki's back!"
"Thank the stars!"
Loki wanted to smile at how warmly he was welcomed back, but this all would have never happened if he hadn't left in the first place. Military and SHIELD troops alike did double takes as he and Steve walked passed. Thor was just a few paces past the front line, surrounded by bots, tearing them to shreds with well-placed lightning strikes. Captain threw up his shield and took a defensive stances,
"THOR!" he shouted over the thunder, and the golden haired god turned to look. He actually dropped Mjölnir in shock when his eyes fell upon Loki, his expression became twisted, like he couldn't decide if he should rejoice or be furious. Loki disassembled the assaulting robots with the wave of his hand as he came to face his brother,
"Thor, don't ask questions, I need your blood." He said. Thor still looked torn between emotions and now confusion swirled into the mix,
"My blood?" he asked. Loki nodded. "For what?"
"I said don't ask questions! Please, all the time I've been gone will be in vain if you don't give it to me." Loki begged. Thor complied despite his confusion and he held his bare arm out to Loki, wrist upturned and exposed. A small throwing dagger appeared in Loki's hand and he sliced Thor's wrist with the speed of light, Thor barely winced. Loki gripped Thor's forearm in his hands and pressed the bleeding wrist to his mouth, no time to do anything more decent. Thor hissed in pain as Loki sucked on his wound. Loki had no idea how much he had to drink or how long it would take to become effective so he simply filled his mouth till the hot blood began trickling down his chin, then he threw his head back and swallowed it all at once. He wiped off his mouth and waited. Angrboda said he would feel "it", whatever that meant, so he waited to feel something. In the meantime, Steve was looking at him in horrified disgust and even looked a little green. Loki chuckled,
"Oh don't tell me you're squeamish." He teased. Loki healed Thor's wrist and grinned at him, "Thank you." Thor put his bracer back on,
"And what happens now?" he asked. Loki's cheery demeanor fell,
"I don't know." He admitted. Another wave of bots landed before them. Thor took up Mjölnir but Loki stopped him with a gentle hand,
"Allow me." He said. Thor looked between the Doombots, Mjölnir, and Loki for a moment, but then relented and stepped back. Loki stepped toward the bots as they raised their arms to fire. He arched his hands in the air, closing his eyes, and pulling strength from Sol's heart that rested within him now. He felt another presence take over. The living flame, he didn't control it -nor did it control him- all he did was release it…the rest was a dance. He opened his eyes and watched the black flames move, swirling in the air like an exotic dancer, and then it charged like a stampede. It consumed the group of Doombots in a whirlwind of darkness, the black flames darting among the enemies like a swarm of wasps, tearing them apart with searing talons.
"Black…fire…?" Steve whispered as he watched in awe. Thor had no response. All that remained of the threat was drops of molten metal upon the asphalt that quickly disintegrated into the atmosphere. The raging black flames retreated into Loki's chest like an eel slipping back into its home among the coral.
"Fascinating!" Loki said with excited glee. An immense pressure grabbed him suddenly and he felt the air crushed from his lungs, he fell to his knees. Then the crushing weight was gone and energy like lightening shot threw his veins, every nerve, into every inch and he was overcome by the strangest sense of climax he'd ever felt. It was euphoric and he couldn't stop the loud moan of pleasure that escaped him as he quivered on his knees. That was it, that's what Angrboda had meant, he realized. Thor and Steve were looking at him strangely. He sucked in a shaky breath, his whole body felt like a livewire, but it was wonderful. He grinned, and almost regretted the thought that not even Tony ever made him feel this good. His smile fell at the thought of his lost lover. He got to his feet and shook off the sensation then turned to face Thor and Captain America.
"Where is Anthony?" he demanded. Steve hopped unto Thor's shoulders and then the three were flying through the city. They came to a magic barrier, the energy signature told Loki that it was Dr. Strange's, and they landed upon the ground to wait for admittance to the other side. A small hole opened and they stepped through.
"Dr. Strange has blocked off this entire section of the city and made it a haven for civilians and injured heroes." Steve explained as they came to a very large iron door. Loki scoffed,
"His taste in décor is atrocious." He shook his head. Steve rolled his eyes. Despite the medieval appearance of the exterior inside it looked like a hospital. Dr. Strange stood in what could be called the lobby, healing various people and directing them to a bedroom or the cafeteria. His head perked up as he sensed a far more powerful presence and he turned around gracefully to grin and bow at Loki.
"Loki!" He greeted him like they were long lost old friends, "How nice to see you again! You look well." Loki snorted at him,
"Yes…well…no thanks to you." He grumbled under his breath then gave the Doctor a plastic smile,
"Where is my lover? Tony Stark? I need to see him." He said and the Doctor's cheery energy faded. He nodded and beckoned for them to follow. They walked down a narrow hall, the only sounds were the rumpling of three capes and the metal jingle of Asgardian chainmail. The Doctor waved his hand and opened a door on the left side at the end of the hall. He stopped just outside the open door then turned to face Loki and gesture inside the room. Loki looked to the door then stepped inside, none of the others followed him. The room was small but quaint; there was a single bed, a television with an Xbox, a low coffee table and loveseat, a bookcase, and a window with an artificial view. Tony was huddled on the loveseat, knees pulled to his chest, staring off at the wall. Loki reached up and pulled off his helmet then set it upon the coffee table before kneeling in front of the couch to look Tony in the eyes. He gently placed his hands atop Tony's knees and waited. Slowly Tony's eyes slid across the room to land on Loki's. Loki smiled at him. Confusion raged in Tony's sad, broken eyes,
"L…Loki…?" his voice was strained, rusty, like he hadn't used it in years and probably hadn't. Loki nodded not taking his eyes off Tony's. Tony stared at him silently for a long while, Loki could see his mind working, trying to decide if it believed Loki was real or not. Loki reached out and gently put his hand against Tony's cheek.
"It's really me. I promise." He whispered. Tony gasped and leaned into Loki's touch, rubbing his cheek against Loki's palm. Tony looked at him, all heartache shining through,
"Where did you go?" he asked, sounding like a child who'd just found their mother after being lost in the supermarket.
"Far away, to get more power." Loki told him. Tears came to Tony's eyes,
"Eira…" he whispered. Loki nodded slowly,
"I know. Don't worry, my love. We'll save her, she's going to be fine." He sounded unconvinced. In all honesty they didn't even know if the girl was alive, but he had to give Tony that reassurance. He gently took Tony's hands and began pulling him to his feet,
"Come on, sweetheart. I need you fighting beside me. You can't stay and rot like this." Loki said. Tony suddenly threw his arms around Loki's shoulders and embraced him. Loki smiled and wrapped his arms around the smaller man, and it felt like coming home. He sighed into Tony's hair and realized, with minor surprise, that he was home. Tony groaned and rubbed his forehead,
"Armor…I need my armor." He mumbled. He still looked very lost, like he wasn't sure if he was dreaming or not. Steve was nodding,
"Your entire remaining tech is here. I think we have one…and a half…Iron Man suits stored somewhere." He shrugged. Loki looked at him curiously,
"A half?" he inquired. Steve nodded,
"Yeah…there was an accident when we were trying to move his suits from the Helicarrier." He mumbled embarrassedly. Dr. Strange led the four to the weapons vault where all super powered trinkets, armors, and weapons were safely stored. Tony's only remaining suit was in a giant iron box. Tony sighed at it but started punching in the codes to open it. After a minute a loud hissing was heard as air was decompressed and the metal door slid open revealing the shining red and gold. Tony manually prepped the suit, pulling each piece apart, so that he could put it on. Loki came up behind him and helped to remove the entire suit from its protective box. Tony then removed the majority of his clothes and slipped into the armors interior bodysuit, then Loki helped to place the rest of the armor together on Tony's frame. When the helmet was finally clicked into placed all Tony could see on the HUD was a picture of a drained battery.
"Ugh!" he groaned, "You guys never plugged it in to charge!" he clenched his fists in frustration. Thor and Steve shrugged innocently at each other. "Freakin' amateurs!" Tony grumbled as he tried to walk. Without power to move the motorized joints Tony was walking with a ton of dead weight upon his shoulders, he might as well have picked up an elephant and tried to cross a river. He groaned again.
"Here." Loki said as he placed a gently, pale hand upon Tony's chest plate. Tony sucked in a surprised breath when a surge of energy flooded him, lighting up the entire suit and bringing it back to life. The HUD flashed as the suit rebooted and ran through a full systems check.
"Woah!" Tony said as he looked at Loki, "Why didn't tell me you could do that! I'd never need batteries again!" he laughed, sounding like his old self again. Loki smiled. Tony took a deep breath, savoring the smell of his favorite toy, a sense of homeliness filled him and he felt safe in his armor. He then realized how much he'd missed wearing the armor. A familiar voice filled the inside of his suit,
"Hello, Mr. Stark. It's been quite a while. How are you?" JARVIS asked in his soothingly British voice. Tony chuckled warmly as a grin broke his face for the first time in years.
"I'm good, Jarvis. I missed you, buddy." He confessed. JARVIS seemed to smile in return,
"It is good to have you back, sir. From what I'm seeing now…" he paused as he processed all the events that had happened in the last four years, "…the world needs you." He finished, voice sounding heavy with sorrow. Tony nodded,
"Yeah, no kidding." He turned to Steve, "Cap, I think it's time to assemble." He said. Steve suddenly smiled and hugged Tony,
"You have no idea how good it is to hear you again." Steve said, and Tony was taken aback. He smiled inside his helmet and squeezed Steve harder,
"I missed you too, Steve." He said. Thor gave Tony a friendly clap on the shoulder and Tony chuckled. Steve showed Tony to the surveillance room, where he watched over the world to the best of his abilities and directed his superhero troops to wherever they were needed. Steve turned on the broadcasting equipment then went to stand in front of a camera. He cleared his throat,
"America, this is Captain Steve Rogers. I know things have been horrid and you've all lost hope, but I'm here to restore that hope. Two of our greatest warriors have returned to us today; Loki and Iron Man. They're taking up their weapons alongside us again, and we're taking this fight straight to Doom Castle." he looked down at the floor for a second before taking another breath and looking back into the cameras, " This is Captain America, calling out to all heroes and civilians alike, calling out to the Avengers…" he held up his shield, "It's time to assemble. We're taking our home back, and we're ending this war!" He reached out and clicked the camera off. He looked at the others,
"We have to keep hope alive in the people, or we're gonna lose." He explained.
"Where is Nick Fury?" Loki asked. Steve shook his head,
"Fury's underground, doing the best he can with the limited resources that we all have. Maria Hill and myself have taken up military command of SHIELD while Fury tries to create attack plans from his safe location." He sighed, "We've run out of ideas. Every assault ever attempted upon Doom's castle has been thwarted before we even got to the gates." Loki nodded in understanding,
"That will no longer be necessary. I can take Doom and all his damned bots straight to Hel with my bare hands." He clenched his fist in the air between him and Steve, "I want all of you to focus on finding my daughter. Find her, then run." He commanded. Steve didn't argue, nor did he voice his question on what should be done if the girl was found to be dead, he simply nodded. Tony flipped his mask up and regarded Loki with worry,
"What are you going to do?" he spoke in almost a whisper and gripped Loki's shoulders, "You're gonna fight him alone? Loki…" he sighed, "…I can't lose you again." His soft brown eyes were pleading louder than his voice could have ever managed. Loki smiled sweetly,
"You will not, my love. I am more than merely one man. I can fight him." He gave Tony's hand a squeeze, "Everything will be fine." They all returned to the lobby to find it filled with heroes, rallied for the cause. Hawkeye was the first to grin at Loki from atop the Hulk's shoulders and wave at Tony,
"Good to have you guys back!" he hollered, and the group cheered in response. A slight woman with very short brown hair dressed in a SHIELD uniform came to stand in front of Steve,
"Please tell me you have a plan. You do know what you're doing, right?" she asked. Steve nodded,
"This might sound bad, but we're all gonna be Loki's cannon fodder." He said, the room grumbled with dissatisfaction, "Listen, listen." Steve waved his hand to get their attention again, "We're gonna have the most important part of this mission; make a clear path for Loki to get to Doom, then find his daughter, and get the fuck out of the way. Is that clear?" Loki stepped forward,
"She will be about four years old now, with bright red hair. Her name is Eira." He told them all. And finally someone said the words that they were too afraid to voice;
"You can't possibly believe she's still alive." Maria Hill commented in a very snarky tone, then she suddenly squeaked in surprise as she was lifted from the ground by an iron hand around her throat. Tony glared at her like he could set her on fire with his eyes,
"Shut your fucking mouth." He growled from the back of his throat. Maria scratched at his metal hand as she suffocated. He dropped her and she fell like a ragdoll, gasping and coughing. No one defended her or tried to stop Tony. Loki simply crossed his arms and looked down at her like she was a roach,
"You will do what you're told, mortal. Find our daughter." He said. Hill glared up at him, still holding her throat, but then her eyes went wide as she caught what he'd said. She looked to Tony and then Loki for a minute as she understood what Loki had meant. Curiosity tingled in the back of her mind, but she knew better than to ask for an explanation.
"C'mon guys…" Steve started, "We've been fighting this vicious circle for four years, it's about time that it ended. Just do what Loki says, follow his lead, and we'll be done with all this." He assured. The ever eloquent Johnny Storm stepped forward,
"Seriously? How can we count on one guy to take out Doom when all of us combined couldn't even get into his castle?" he asked. Steve looked at Loki for an answer because he himself wasn't even sure about it all. Loki saw the fear and doubt in all their eyes as they watched him and waited for a response. He sighed,
"I have more power than all of you combined. And then some." He said, "Look, I can't guarantee that I can save the whole world, but I swear to stop Doom." He looked at each of them, "You can count on the fact that I will end him…even if it kills me as well." He finished mournfully, heart heavy with the thought of leaving Tony alone again. He could feel Tony's eyes upon him, but he didn't dare look into them for fear that he would second guess himself. He couldn't fail, not this time, not with all these heroes on the line as well as his daughter. And these heroes are exhausted, physically and emotionally, anyone could see that they won't last much longer. If he failed here…it'd be all over, for all of them. He chuckled to himself suddenly, as he realized the position he was in. He had fought so long, and suffered so terribly, to have a meaning in his life, to have power, to be king. He would have given anything to have an entire world under his control, to have his hand in their fates. And now, in the most ironic way, he did. The fate of this world was now resting on him, and he realized how easily he could turn the tide and join Doom's subjugation. But then he looked at Tony, those soft brown eyes so full of fear yet hopeful, and he watched Loki carefully with his brow pulled down in worry. And then, of course there was Thor, no one was more proud of Loki or more loving despite Loki's flaws. Loki could imagine the heartbreak he'd see on both their faces if he were to defect to the other side. He's done it before, a cunning fox always picks whichever side he thinks will win, but never in a circumstance like this. He knew the fact that the thought had even crossed his mind at all was treachery enough. He reached out and tenderly ran his hand through Tony's hair, not taking his eyes off of Tony's, and for once it felt like Tony was reading his thoughts instead of the other way around. He gripped Loki's hand,
"Loki…" his voice was almost a whisper, "I love you." He said each world carefully, deliberately, in an attempt to convince Loki, and his voice was begging, pleading with Loki not to do what was on his mind. Loki smiled, surprised by Tony's empathy, but he placed a soft kiss upon Tony's forehead, a reassurance that everything would be ok. He turned to everyone else, demeanor becoming aggressive,
"Let's go." He ordered in the voice of a man who'd been raised in war, who'd spent his adolescence bathing in the blood of his enemies, and who knew what suffering was. Instantly the heroes moved, taking to their respective groups and heading out. They only took their vehicles so far, then the rest of the distance to Doom Castle was on foot, for fear that they would be shot from the sky or something. They reached the castle wall with little resistance, much to their astonishment, and Loki was just about to blow the gates down when Doom's voice was heard laughing overhead,
"I've been waiting for you, Loki…" he chuckled and the gates began to swing open, "I've got a surprise for you…a challenge…" They all knew Doom was nowhere near, his voice was coming through sets of speakers hidden amongst the wall. The gates finally opened completely and they all stood peering inside. Doom was still giggling in his amusement.
"Get out here and fight me, coward!" Loki shouted as he stepped through the gates,
"Oh no, I have something far more entertaining in mind…" Doom answered. Loki stopped in his tracks at what he saw before him. There were no Doombots, no militia men, no demon monsters…just a girl. A little girl stood not even six feet from him, watching him with her calculating brown eyes, fiery curls swirling around her face as if the locks of hair were alive. Loki stood frozen, waiting, not sure what to do.
"Eira…?" Tony spoke, stepping forward. Loki stopped him with a hand placed against the red armor, he shook his head at Tony, warning him. Tony looked broken and confused. Something cold hit Loki's nose and he glanced up to see the sky turning black, and snow falling down. He looked back at Eira as her eyes turned red, just like his Jotun eyes, and ice came to life around her. He shook his head sorrowfully, staring into those little eyes,
"No…" he pleaded in a whisper, "Don't…please…" The ground rumbled, then broke, as a giant clawed hand emerged from beneath the stone. A creature of terrifying size pulled itself out of the ground, just behind Eira. It was sleek black with golden eyes, curling horns, and bat-like wings. Loki took a step back in shock at what he was looking at. A dragon. And it was obviously under Eira's control. It was not the biggest dragon he'd ever seen, but terrifying all the same. How, he wondered, how had this child learned to summon such things? He knew for sure that Doom could not perform this sort of magic. That meant one of two things; either Doom had found someone to teach her, or she'd already known how to do this. If it was the latter, then she was easily a hundred times more powerful than Loki himself. The dragon reared its head and roared at them. Eira had yet to even move. Loki's entire plan of attack had just been butchered, and now he stood like a frightened sheep, with no idea what to do but having no intentions of fighting his baby daughter. The dragon lunged, teeth bared, mouth big enough to eat half of them in a single bite. All the while, she stood there, staring at him.
For anybody who might be curious, I imagined Angrboda being a lot like Morrigan from Dragon Age: Origins, so that's how I pictured I know I'm mixing in a bunch of comicverse stuff in here, but I like it that way. And I don't honestly know that much about Angrboda, or her real role in Loki's life in the comics, so I kinda just made something up.
Reviews, please!