When writing this chapter I thought of Redlight King's "Comeback" off their album Something for the Pain. It fits the team going into battle. It also fits Loki's personal battle: he felt like a failure on Asgard but he's determined that won't be the tale here.

They were all glad for the repaired team dynamic when a huge portal opened up as they were approaching the coordinates.

"Well there goes the stopping him before he has guests over idea," Tony said.

"Now what," Banner asked.

Loki looked at his teammates seriously.

"I need to close that portal which likely also entails dealing with Malekith. I would suggest the rest of you try to hold back these aliens."

"Oh joy. You make it sound so easy," Tony replied sarcastically.

"We are the Avengers. Earth's greatest heroes as Fury's wording describes us. Is not Captain America known for his strategy as well as his strength? Is Tony not able to use his suit to deal with multiple foes at once? Agent Romanov, our Black Widow, can take enemies down before they realize she's won. If we get Agent Barton back we will have a superior archer. Dr. Banner, what shames you, can become your greatest strength. You care about people or you would not be a doctor. Let that feeling guide you. Agent Coulson can remain with the helicopter. He can route in reinforcements and defend the Bifrost site in case Asgard sends assistance. I cannot guarantee it will. At least having the helicopter at these coordinates would prevent him from having to worry about accidentally hitting one of you. Agent Romanov, you should focus on reclaiming Hawkeye," Loki suggested.

Loki reached into his staff and pulled out a small stone.

"Place this against his skull after you knock him out. It will heal wounds and allow him to join us in the fight," Loki instructed.

He noticed everyone was looking at him oddly.

"What?"

It was Captain America who answered.

"Have you led people before?"

Loki shook his head.

"No, that was not my place."

"Then what 'your place' is needs to be redefined. You're more than someone who can fool people Loki. You can encourage them too," the captain encouraged.

"He's right," Banner interjected.

"We all agree on that. What I don't agree with is you facing Malekith alone," Tony added.

"None of you can do magic. This must be my battle. Your staff will fulfill its function my shield brother. I promise," Loki consoled Tony.

"Crud, I can't stand this emotional stuff. You'd better come back so Pepper can lecture you," Tony replied.

"Unless you do something even more stupid," Loki retorted.

"Hey Pepper's good at remembering things. She'll just yell at both of us," Tony told him.

Coulson had the helicopter land long enough for all of them to disembark. Loki made himself invisible and went to find the portal and Malekith as his teammates went to battle the incoming aliens.

Loki smoothly snuck through the battle. He found that Malekith was indeed with the tesseract. Loki grimaced when he recognized a magical connection between Malekith's staff and the tesseract portal device. Only Malekith's staff could shut the portal down. The elf also had a spell which was keeping the area invisible to Heimdall, so reinforcements from Asgard were not likely. Loki swiftly attacked the elf, but Malekith smoothly evaded him.

"So you are Loki of Asgard as my minion suspected. How interesting that you would be here. Why is it that you do not rule," Malekith asked.

"I do not wish to. These people rule themselves."

Malekith shook his head.

"Is it being around mortals that has made you soft or were you always that way? You never sought us out. You should have. We both use magic Prince Loki. None of the mortals can understand that. Among us you can be yourself. Surely that was a problem for you on Asgard: they hated magic and everything else that you are. Is that why you came here? To finally be seen above a crowd? Weakling."

Loki evaded an attack. With that the battle began in earnest. Loki's staff helped keep him safe and he was happy to be in one piece. It was unfortunate, however, that he was not used to fighting an opponent who had this much power and experience. A cruel set of spells dragged him to his knees. Malekith walked towards him.

"Soon you will be as you should be Prince of Asgard. Nothing will hold you back," Malekith declared with a malevolent grin.

Malekith's spells prevented Loki from grabbing the reserves from the stones in his staff. That meant he only had access to his current energy. He had only one choice to increase the amount of that he had available: drop the spells hiding him from Heimdall. If I do this then I will get a lot of energy back, but Heimdall will be able to see me once I break Malekith's invisibility spell. I don't want to risk being dragged back to Asgard, but I want to help my friends even more.

Loki dropped the spells which hid him from Heimdall. He took almost all the power he had inside of him and sneakily sent it weaving into all the spells around him. Malekith stood above him and started to lower the staff.

"One thing you need to know about me before you try such a thing," Loki commented casually.

"What would that be," Malekith wondered as he started to move the staff towards Loki's heart. Loki smiled grimly. Since Malekith was so interested in his heart he would speak from it.

"I am Loki of Earth and I bow to no one," Loki said determinedly.

With that he wrenched at Malekith's spells. This caused the spells chaining Loki in place to disappear. He teleported a moderate distance away from Malekith. Loki also jarred the spells covering the area from Heimdall's sight causing them to fall. Like me he was hiding from Heimdall because he sees a possibility of the Allfather interfering. Even if the Allfather does nothing the idea he could might cause Malekith to become reckless.

"You fool! You wanted to be invisible to them as well," Malekith yelled.

"Asgard may have no interest in me, but I'm sure it will be interested in you Malekith. Specifically in how you have brought aliens to threaten a realm under the Allfather's protection. I'm sure he'll want to speak with you about it in person," Loki replied.

With a bellow of rage Malekith fired spell after spell at Loki. Loki made some illusions to win time to get access to the reserves in his staff. I'm weakening but he's quickly and foolishly expending his energy due to his rage. I can win this.

He grasped his reserves and got some energy back. He and Malekith fought spells against spells and staff against staff. Loki was aware of receiving battle wounds but he kept fighting. I won't let my friends or this realm down. I will not let my home fall to this mad monster. He is one, not Dr. Banner or I. Eventually, his more levelheaded approach succeeded and he managed to defeat Malekith. He knocked the elf unconscious and applied just about every binding spell he could think of.

His face paled when he looked up at the portal. It was bad enough to see what he recognized as a nuclear device. It was even worse to see Tony flying it through the portal so that it would explode elsewhere. You idiot, now you'll die and Pepper will be able to concentrate on lecturing me! Loki waited until he saw his friend starting to fall back through the portal before he used Malekith's staff to activate the closing mechanism and close the portal. His friend's suit was clearly damaged by the missile explosion and the battle. He was also clearly unconscious. Loki thought of the spells he hadn't figured out how to apply to his friend's armor. I can't let him die. I can't.

What was he supposed to do? He was too weak to fly up there fast enough.

A hero is someone who puts others before himself.

Loki prepared to take all the energy he had left and turn it into a lightening spell. As he was about to use the spell he saw a blur that he recognized as Thor snatch Tony from the air. Loki calmed himself and leaned on his staff.

Whatever comes I will remember Thor saved Tony and be grateful for that.

He saw Thor coming down towards his location and took in a deep breath.