A/N: Thanks to my reviewers and readers x3 I hope you guys are enjoying!
"Please put that away, will you?" Natasha growled as she held Loki's arm. "You're idiots- the both of you!" she snapped.
Fury put his gun away and stared at her curiously.
Loki also shot her a questioning stare as he took a step back.
Natasha turned to face Thanos in his glass cage. "You want this, don't you?" she asked him.
"A shame you catch on quickly," he grimaced.
She folded her arms across her chest as she continued. "So you think by having them fight, you'd somehow manage to achieve freedom? Nice try," she smirked.
Loki exchanged a glance with Nick Fury.
"Unfortunately, I'm used to dealing with the manipulative type." She turned around to flash a smile at Loki.
His brows knitted together in confusion. "Care to explain?"
"I don't think there are any exceptions to that thing's powers. I mean, infinite power, anything you want- why would there be an exception? Leave it to our prisoner to try getting you two to kill each other…"
"Impressive as usual," Loki informed her with a sly grin.
Fury shook his head in disgust as he eyed the couple looking overly-friendly. "Let's just get out of here."
"So soon?" Thanos asked. "A shame. Especially since there actually is an exception in regards to dealing with matters of life and death." From a gold pouch that hung at his belt, he withdrew an emerald stone. "I managed to keep this safely hidden just in case."
Fury stared down at the gauntlet and noticed the five coloured gems that attached to each knuckle.
"The soul gem," explained Thanos. "This also happens to be the only way to bring back your friend from the dead…"
"I suggest you hand it over before I have to resort to more drastic measures," Fury warned him.
"There is only one way I'm willing to part with this," he continued. "For now, I'll settle for the Tesseract. Think of it as a clean trade…"
"It can't hurt, right?" Natasha asked Fury. "He's stuck in there. That thing's indestructible, right?"
"It has yet to be tested on the cube, and we're not gonna take any chances now."
Natasha flashed her chief a knowing glance. "It couldn't hurt. We're desperate, aren't we?"
He handed off the gauntlet to her while he went off to retrieve the Tesseract.
Thanos chuckled to himself, pleased by their agreement.
"The cage really is quite indestructible," Loki commented. "I should know. They kept me locked up in here." He placed a hand on the glass. "I admit, there have been some fine memories associated with my confinement." In his peripheral vision, he eyed Natasha.
Nick Fury soon returned with the glowing blue cube in one hand. "I'd like you to set the gem down and back away!" he warned Thanos. He approached the cage's entrance and readied his ID to be swiped.
Thanos obliged and set the stone down near the entry way before he stepped back towards the back of his cell.
Natasha handed the gauntlet off to Loki as Fury swiped his card. The door opened and Fury snatched the gem at the very moment Natasha fired Widow's Sting attack at Thanos's chest.
His body began to convulse from the surprise electric shocks that overcame his body.
The door sealed itself shut. "Let's go," ordered Fury.
As they left the room, Loki returned the gauntlet to him. "Safe in your hands."
Fury set the gem in the center of the gauntlet before he handed it back to Loki. "Here."
Loki stared at the temptation being presented to him, then to the Commander. "You have confidence that I won't betray you?" He flashed his signature smirk.
"If you keep up that attitude, I'll make sure you're sent back home for good!"
He chuckled softly as he accepted the gauntlet. "Many thanks, Commander."
"I've got my eye on you," he warned Loki in reply.
"Are you sure about this?" Bruce asked.
"Yes. This should work." Loki slid the heavy piece of metal over his hand and watched as the six attached gems began to emanate a faint glow.
Bruce pulled away the sheet that covered Thor's body. He and all the other Avengers along with Fury watched anxiously to see what would happen.
Loki stood beside the table where Thor's body laid, eyes filled with sadness. He outstretched his hand that wore the Infinity Gauntlet over his Brother's heart and tightly shut his eyes. "Come back to us, Thor," he whispered. "To me…" His head bowed as he waited, wishing for Thor to return to him.