Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!

AN: First of all, I am sorry, but this ended up being one very long chapter. I tried to split it in two, but then it somehow didn't feel right anymore. I decided to keep it this way and I hope you'll like it.

~ Shadows and Regrets ~

Chapter 16

Loki and Thor had separated from the Captain and Hawkeye since they had different goals to achieve. The brothers wanted to find The Other and kill him while the two Avengers only wanted to rejoin the battle on the surface. They knew the other Avengers were losing ground and they also knew they were stronger as a team. Loki would have found it unfortunate that he no longer had the company of the Captain and Hawkeye, but then he would be lying to himself.

He didn't even like those two men. Certainly not the short, obnoxious archer. That nasty little man had truly been working on his nerves so perhaps it was for the best that their ways had separated. Loki simply would not have been responsible for any of his actions that concerned Hawkeye.

The departure of one of the smaller spaceships could be heard in the distance. Loki could recognize the sound since he had been on board on one of those ships only hours ago. Then there were some shots fired, followed by a massive collection of growls and shouts. It was safe to say that the Chitauri hadn't been able to stop the Captain and Hawkeye from getting off their ship.

Loki and Thor kept on moving deeper into the ship, not looking back and never hesitating.

"The Other might not be so easy to find," Thor said, but with newfound courage and determination in his voice. He made a right turn and walked through a narrow, musty hallway. Loki found it utterly ridiculous that Thor wanted to lead since he had no idea where he was actually going. "But he'll be near the front of this ship. Presumably somewhere near the control rooms."

"That's some brilliant insight, Thor," Loki snapped. He still disliked the very idea of Thor coming with him on this mission, but there was not a scenario in a million dimensions where the thunderer would let him face this enemy alone. He grabbed his brother's arm and pushed him into a different direction. If Thor would have his way, they would end up in a storage room. Of course he will be in the main control room, you idiot, where else would he be? Relaxing in a hammock?"

Thor shot him a toothy grin. "This is great fun, is it not?" He actually seemed to be enjoying himself even though Loki didn't understand what was so amusing about this entire situation. "We are fighting side by side again, just like the old days."

"That's what you believe," Loki countered. He made sure to remind Thor that he hated him still. "It is also what makes you a naïve, stubborn and reckless man. I truly don't understand why Odin wants you on his throne."

Thor glanced over his shoulder and apparently saw something Loki wasn't aware of. "It's all right to be nervous, brother-"

"I am not nervous," Loki quickly countered, "where do you even get that idea? I have faced The Other before and I am confident that I can beat him. Now let's just keep quiet before we alert any Chitauri of our presence. I'm really not in the mood for another round of primitive fighting, but I am sure you would marvel in it."

Thor smiled serenely. "I have always been more of a fighter while you were the strategist."

Loki didn't bother with a reply. He knew what Thor was trying to accomplish. Showering him with compliments wasn't going to loosen him, nor was it going to make him more amiable towards him.

"Thank you," Thor said suddenly when he understood Loki wasn't going to answer, "for helping Steve and Clint. That was admirable."

"Oh, do shut up!" Loki balled his hands into fists. Was there nothing he could do to push Thor away from him? To make him understand that nothing had changed between them? That there wasn't a chance in all the nine realms that their brotherhood could be restored? "I only helped them escape so that my own cause would be aided."

"Still, it was a kind act," Thor concluded.

Loki sighed. "Whatever makes you sleep better at night."

They reached a landing that gave them access to three different routes. Thor let his eyes fall on each different pathway and Loki walked by him, entering the middle passageway without saying another word. He knew they would reach another corridor which would then lead them to the main control room. It was a short walk and Loki forced himself to keep his breathing evenly.

He was not nervous, he told himself, he just disliked the idea of fighting The Other. Even though he was confident that he could beat him this time, he still dreaded the necessary pain he would experience because there was no doubt that The Other would up a good fight.

~ o ~

Just before they reached the main control room, Loki and Thor ran into trouble. The Chitauri had finally caught up with them and their numbers had doubled. It was almost surprising since Loki had assumed The Other would have sent all of his forces down to the surface by now.

He didn't have much time to think about that. Thirty Chitauri-warriors came at them, all carrying a rifle and a vicious expression on their faces. They even growled as they charged forward. Loki, thinking quickly, understood that he and Thor could fight off this small formation, but that it would cost them precious time and energy.

With a quick spell and a flick of his wrist, he sent half of the Chitauri flying back. Some hit the hard walls of the ship, others landed on top of each other. Some were dead, others unconscious while the minority got back up again and rejoined the remaining charging Chitauri. There were maybe twenty more Chitauri left and Loki saw how Thor began to swing his hammer.

Mjolnir hit one Chitauri-warrior after another while Loki used a rifle himself. He was starting to appreciate the durability of this Chitauri-weapon. It was also surprisingly efficient once you knew where to hit the Chitauri. The face was the most advisable.

Then more Chitauri came running into the hall and Loki was faced with a choice. He turned to look at his brother, noticed that he wasn't really paying him any attention at this point. He decided that now was the time to sneak away from the fight. He fired his rifle again – clearing his path to a nearby door - and ran forward. He blasted the door into pieces and entered the main control room.

The Other spun around and looked Loki straight into his eyes. There were maybe another dozen Chitauri-warriors present in the room who instantly moved towards Loki, but The Other hissed at them. "This one is mine," he sneered, "and I will take great joy in killing you once and for all, Loki Odinson."

For a moment, Loki wanted to correct The Other and tell him he was Loki Laufeyson, but for some reason, he decided against it. It was almost painful to admit, but Odinson simply sounded stronger and more intimidating.

"Then what are you waiting for?"

Loki had newfound courage. He didn't know why he felt so confident again. Perhaps it was because he knew his brother was just outside, fighting to survive and to defend him. Perhaps it was because was done thinking he had nothing to lose. At some point between Stark Tower and now, he had discovered a cause worth fighting for. He didn't want to disappoint his mother. He didn't even want to disappoint Thor, even if it was just to show him that he could beat The Other. To tell him 'I-told-you-so'.

The Other chuckled, a filthy sound coming from his throat. He lifted his arm and shot an orb of pure energy at Loki who used his rifle to defend himself. He knocked the orb aside and managed to direct it into the face of a by standing Chitauri-warrior. The others growled angrily, but Loki – nor The Other – had any attention for them. They were solely focused on each other.

Loki fired his rifle at The Other before making a somersault and darting aside for a counterattack he'd expected. It caused him to stand closer to his archenemy and Loki cut him across the face. That was the second scar he'd given him and he felt good about that. Loki grinned and continued to dart around. He made sure he didn't stay at one place for longer than three seconds. The Other wasn't to pin him down and that would be Loki's advantage.

He wished he could use his magic more often, but he knew he had to use it sparingly. Even if he managed to defeat The Other, he would still have to face a raging army of his followers. Then would be a good time to turn to his last resource.

Instead, Loki focused on his rifle, three hidden daggers and his ability to predict some of The Other's moves. He fired his rifle into The Other's back, knocked him on the head and even managed to bring him out of balance. This went better than expected!

The Other swirled around, clearly antagonized by Loki's constant attacks. He shot another orb of energy, but again Loki managed to evade it. This time, the energy hit one of the control panels and sent it smoking. The Other growled, beastly this time, but Loki kept on moving. Then his eye fell on a small device lying on a nearby panel and he was momentarily distracted.

He lingered too long and The Other seized the opportunity.

This time, the Chitauri-leader used a different spell. He managed to throw Loki against the hard interior of the ship where his head smacked against the wall. It made a dirty sound, like the cracking of bone. Loki fell down, his rifle dropping from his hand and sliding away from him. He saw a thousand stars dancing before his eyes.

He quickly regained full control over his body, however, and his vision returned to normal after a few seconds. But he stayed down and listened The Other coming his way.

"Is this it?" The Other taunted. "Is that all the fight you have in you?"

Loki remained still. He even blinked a few times while The Other continued to come closer. He was nearly close enough.

"It makes me wonder why we agreed to an alliance in the first place. You're no better than the pathetic mortals on the surface. You are not even worth being called an Asgardian. You are weak!"

Loki felt his heart beating ferociously inside his chest. His breathing quickened and he knew The Other's words were getting to him. He tried to stay focused, to understand that The Other was merely playing his emotions, but it was difficult. It was certainly difficult when he knew that damned monster was right.

The Other waved his hand and a Chitauri-warrior brought him the device that had distracted Loki in the first place. It was small, not even four inches long, and it was made out of the same material the rest of the ship was made of.

"Do you know what this is?" The Other smiled victoriously when Loki didn't respond. At this point, he seemed to confused for anything and that was the entire point. "It is a communicator."

Loki's eyed The Other steadily. He didn't need an explanation to know what was going on. He knew the full extent of the Chitauri's power and therefor he knew of its weapons, technology and numbers. Dread invaded him when he thought of the death and destruction The Other intended to sow.

"I care nothing for this realm," The Other hissed, "I only want to see it destroyed. I have millions of my people up there-" he glanced up and then took another step towards Loki, "-and those all want the same thing. As soon as this city falls, it is only a matter of time before the rest follows. All I have to do, is give them a signal through this and every single warrior will come running down." He wiggled his hand holding the communicator as he kneeled won besides the seemingly injured Loki.

The Other was close enough now and Loki swiftly pulled out a dagger and planted it deep inside The Other's chest. Blood already flowed across Loki's hand and arm and he quickly let go of the dagger. The Other looked nothing but shocked. He stumbled back, reaching for the hilt of the dagger planted deep inside his chest and trying to pull it out.

Loki couldn't take the chance of The Other surviving so he reached for a second dagger and threw it across the room. It hit The Other in the neck, cutting of his airways and arteries. It was a horrid sight and Loki could barely believe that he had done this. He was usually one that had clean kills.

A few seconds passed where nothing happened. Then The Other fell down – dead – and the Chitauri charged towards Loki. They were obviously enraged that their leader had just been murdered by him.

The trickster jumped up and realized he only had one dagger left. Now he was forced to use his magic. He lifted his hand, but then four dull thuds echoed through the room and Loki saw that Thor was finally done fighting the Chitauri outside. Loki quickly threw his last dagger at the closest Chitauri-warrior before reaching for his rifle. He used it to shoot another three warriors while Thor took care of the rest.

They had done it.

They had won!

Thor beamed, pleased that their mission was accomplished. Even Loki dared to smile. He had killed The Other after all and for the first time in months, he felt free. He walked towards Thor, not sure what he was planning to do once he reached him, but then halfway there he noticed the communicator lying near The Other's corpse. The Other's words echoed through his head.

His smile instantly vanished.

"What's wrong, brother?" Thor sounded concerned and closed the remaining distance between them. His eyes fell on the communicator as well, but he didn't understand.

"The Other might be dead, but the Chitauri are still out there," he breathed. He could still feel some effects of the smack he'd made with his head. He dared to use a bit of his magic to take care of that. "They won't stop, Thor, not until this planet is destroyed or they are."

"We can win this battle," Thor said, remaining hopeful.

Loki nodded. "Yes, we can, if we manage to destroy these ships and the spaceships still floating just above the atmosphere." He picked up the communicator and examined it more closely. The technology was surprisingly advanced and Tony Stark would even have a field day with this. "There are millions up there, Thor, and they all want the same thing."

"Millions?" Thor had already lost some of his hope. "We can't fight millions! We have been fighting for hours already and we're still losing ground. If millions invade-"

"-then we're dead." Loki said harshly. He lifted his gaze away from the communicator and stared into Thor's distressed eyes. He wasn't sure, but perhaps this was the first time he witnessed his brother experiencing despair. "The Chitauri will swarm this planet and burn it down. Then it will turn to Asgard and do the same. It might not succeed entirely, but it will cause extreme damage to your home realm."

"Our home realm," Thor said, swallowing heavily.

Footsteps sounded in the distance. More Chitauri-warriors were coming their way…

…and they would keep coming their way. Loki suddenly felt extremely tired. He was still hurting even though he had healed his head and he longed for sleep. The adrenaline raging through his veins was slowly starting to wear out.

"There must be something we can do," Thor said determinedly, "because I'm not going to stand by and watch the Chitauri destroy everything I hold dear. I will fight them until I have no more breath left in my body."

"That will happen soon enough," Loki said.

Thor looked almost shocked by his words.

"Unless…" Loki stared at the communicator again. An idea came to his mind and an actual plan soon followed. It was possibly his worst scheme so far, but it seemed to be the only solution. Loki hated it. He absolutely hated it, but he realized there was no other way. Thinking of how the Chitauri would invade Asgard made him sick. He didn't want to see his mother hurt. He didn't want to see her murdered by these primitives. There was even a part of him that didn't want to see Odin killed by them.

Protecting Midgard was necessary as well. When he had first come here, he had wanted to subjugate humanity. He knew casualties would fall and he knew destruction would be necessary. However, it was in the cause of something greater. Something better. He would have given them peace afterwards. He would have ruled them as a good King.

The Chitauri only wanted this realm destroyed and Loki opposed that. There might be a day when he would need this realm for some reason. Maybe he could still rule it one day. Thor would be greatly disappointed if he could hear his thoughts right now.

"Loki, what is it?" Thor asked. He placed a hand on his brother's shoulder.

Earlier, Loki had shrugged it off, but now he did nothing. He simply gazed into Thor's eyes as he understood what had to be done. "I can destroy the Chitauri," he said, "I can destroy their ships and every lasting warrior down on the surface."

Thor's eyes lightened up when he heard this. "Tell me how!"

"Every ship out there, every warrior still alive is connected to each other and therefor also connected to this ship," Loki began to explain, walking towards the main control panel and staring at it. Then he turned back towards Thor and continued, "They have to because The Other could only gave orders from here on out. This connection, their shared link is their biggest strength, but also their greatest weakness."

Thor began to nod. "That's how Tony Stark killed all of the Chitauri last time. He severed their link to their main hub."

"Exactly," Loki said, "too bad he only managed to destroy a part of the Chitauri-army. Then we wouldn't be in this mess right now."

"But how can you destroy them this time?" Thor asked. "There is no bomb like Stark had."

Loki took in a deep breath and steadied himself. He could feel Thor's scrutinizing gaze on him. "I can send a strong enough pulse through that link. I can hack into the system and use magic to send through a massive power surge. Their systems would overload and if I manage to maintain that power surge long enough, I can blow up every ship out there."

Thor frowned. He grew strangely suspicious of the plan. "Even with all your strength, Loki, you do not have the power to blow up every ship and every warrior."

"I will have enough strength," Loki smiled faintly, "like I said, I'll be connected to every ship out there and every warrior that still has breath in his lungs. I can feed of the Chitauri's life-force long enough to enhance my magic and actually pull this off."

There was a short moment of silence before Thor looked relieved. "This is a good plan then, brother," he said proudly, "now do it so we can get of the ship in time."

Loki's face became a mask that hid all of his emotions and thoughts. He refused to show Thor that he regretted this, that he felt scared. "I have to be connected to everything," he almost whispered, "I have to make sure I can feel every Chitauri-warrior up there and down below. I have to be absolutely certain that I've created a link to each ship out there so that I can destroy everything at once."

Thor looked horrified. "You mean you have to be on this ship when it explodes?"

Loki nodded reluctantly.

"Then…" Thor tightened his grip on Mjolnir and straightened his back, "then I will be here with you."

A hollow laugh escaped Loki's dry throat. "Don't be ridiculous," he countered, making sure that little emotion became visible in his eyes. The situation was hard enough as it was and he certainly didn't want to comfort his brother first. "You don't have to sacrifice yourself. Besides earth needs you, as does Asgard. You are the heir of the throne after all. You can't be missed."

"Neither can you!" Thor took an angry step forward, but Loki lifted his hand as a command for Thor to halt. "Loki, this is madness."

"I've heard that before," Loki mused, "I didn't listen to you then."

"Please."

"I have no choice," Loki argued, "I either do this or I watch this world crumble. Next I'll be forced to watch Asgard being attacked and I don't want to take the risk of mother getting killed." He was painfully reminded of the vision The Other had showed him. He did not want to see his mother forced to bow down. She shouldn't have to bow before anyone.

Thor shook his head. "Loki, you don't have to-"

Loki refused to listen to him. He focused on a rather complicated spell and then let it propel away from him. He watched Thor's horrid expression just before he was catapulted away from this ship. Loki made sure that he teleported his brother to just above the surface of the earth. He would hate it if his brother would fall to his death because of him.

He turned back to the control panel, knowing exactly what he had to do. He inhaled deeply and listened to the many footsteps still approaching him. He wasn't certain, but it sounded like a small army. Fifty Chitauri at least. So Loki began to work, connecting himself to the system and gathering enough force to create a massive energy surge.

He realized the moment was near. He could feel the systems overheating and he could feel the first ship exploding because of his magic.

He hated it. He hated that he had to do this for the sake of humanity. What had they over done for him? Or perhaps this was his retribution for what he had done to them. Perhaps this was his way of redeeming himself.

Still, he hated it.