I'M BACK! SO sorry for the long delay, I totally underestimated the amount of work I'd have this year but still here's a chapter. Just fyi this isn't proof-read so all mistakes are my own and sorry if any doesn't make sense!

Chapter 27

They walked further and further into the cave, more cautious now of what to expect. They didn't come across any more Chitauri for some time but they were still wary whenever they heard a noise or a distant echo from either in front or from behind them. If it came from behind they would all look back and then to Cap. He would then reassure them that if there was a problem then Natasha or Clint would contact them. They all would nod, convincing themselves and eachother that it would all be fine.

They were scared. They had been preparing for this moment for weeks and they had all had years of prior training which was supposed to make them be able to deal with these sorts of situations. And yet they were so hopelessly unprepared to what it was actually like. They were fighting through an unknown hostile environment to recover their friends who could be dead or very close to at that very moment. Who could ever be prepared for that? They were scared and they were right to be.

"I think it opens up again," Bruce whispered, peering around the others.

"Okay, everyone be ready," Steve ordered, then led the party round another tight corner.

Bruce was right, the path did open out into another room but it was deserted. There were no Chitauri soldiers at all. They all breathed a collective sigh of relief and walked on.

The path widened out more but up ahead it was impossibly dark. They exchanged hesitant looks. All of them knew they couldn't use any artificial lights because it could alert the enemy to their whereabouts but going in blind meant that they would be at a disadvantage to any attack that was launched on them. Then they heard it. A faint groan that turned into a breathy cry of pain.

"Loki," Thor said loudly, running off into the darkness.

"Thor no!" Steve cried but the god was beyond reasoning. He had already been swallowed by the darkness.

"What do we do now?" Bruce demanded.

"We follow," Steve replied, looking anxious. He adjusted his grip on his shield and nodded.

They jogged into the darkness but found no danger. They heard nothing that even hinted towards danger or anything related to the Chitauri. Light had fought through some cracks in the crumbling rock and lit their path enough so they didn't stumble. By the time they heard Thor again, their fears had all been laid to rest. They had fought the Chitauri once and won and had just done it again. They could do it a third and as the saying goes, third time lucky. But when they actually found Thor, there were no Chitauri present.

The thunder god was swinging his arm back before he threw it forward and Mjolnir made contact with metal bars. All of them came to a quick stop and shuffled backwards a few steps to give him some room. They looked through the bars of the cell and saw Loki lying crumpled on the floor. He seemed to be in a lot of pain, his head was tucked down as though trying to keep it out the way of being kicked. From a distance they couldn't assess the full damage but it didn't look good.

"Where's Tony?" Bruce said quietly.

Steve glanced around and felt his heart sink. Tony wasn't there.

There was loud bang and what felt like a strong gust of wind that knocked them all backwards to the ground. Thor was the only one left standing, watching as the cell bars disintegrated to ash on the floor.

"How did you do that?" Steve asked, climbing to his feet.

Thor didn't answer. As the dust cleared, the image of Loki came back into focus and the god had thrown himself to his knees next to his brother.

"Magic hammer," Bruce said offhandedly, then his voice rose as Thor made to move Loki. "Don't move him! I need to look over him first."

The thunder god looked up, his eyes a battle of obeying and rebelling, tears beginning to cloud his vision.

"Please hurry," He whispered. "I need to know he's okay."

Bruce patted his shoulder as he knelt down on the opposite side of Loki. He leant in close to listen for breathing then pressed two fingers to Loki's pulse point on his neck. There was silence for a few seconds then he withdrew his fingers and let out a breath.

"His breathing is fairly steady and I can feel a good pulse but still don't move him."

"Why not? We must get him out quickly!"

"Hey don't forget Tony," Steve cried, but Bruce silenced him with a look.

"Look, stop bickering. Steve we will find Tony and Thor we cannot move Loki because if we do you will be rolling him onto his back which I would advise against. His back is extremely scarred and it appears to still be bleeding. You need to be patient."

"But how will we get him out?" Thor asked calmly.

"I'll stay here with him. I'll do my best to clean him up or get him in a state where he can be moved, luckily he's still unconscious. You and Steve go on and contact if there's a problem. We've heard nothing from Clint and Natasha so I think the cave's clear. Just be weary."

"Okay." Steve nodded, accepting what Bruce said and Thor echoed him.

Thor got to his feet and took one last lingering look over his brother before turning his back and following Steve. Witnessing him so weak and so alone just made Thor think about how far he had fallen. He was the fallen god. No one had ever fallen so far. And yet, as Frigga had said, he still manages to pull himself back up and find something good.

This was what gave him the determination to walk away from his limp body, lying on the dirt floor. Tony. The genius, the playboy, the hero. Tony Stark, Loki's something good. He was like a match and he had relit Loki's fire, had brought him back to life. He had to bring him back to Loki, whole and undamaged. It was his promise, his goal. He owed Loki this after causing him to fall so far. He knew he shouldn't blame himself but how could he not? For too long he hadn't taken responsibility. He had acted like a child for so long. But no more. He would find Tony.

And he did.

"There's Chitauri up ahead," Steve muttered, feeling the unpleasantness fill his stomach just like it always did when these creatures were involved.

"Good," Thor replied. He wanted to break something, preferably some skulls.

They didn't bother with anything tactical, there wasn't any point. The place where these Chitauri had decided to take up residence was lit up nicely with lights that could not be of this world. They held a red glow and were attached all around the cave walls and ceiling.

When the pair saw a clear view they both halted for a moment, eyes drawn to something they would never wish not see. Tony had his wrists tied together and they were pulled sharply above his head and attached to the rock above. His bare toes barely scraped the floor, but judging by the way they were scarred and covered in dry blood, they had scraped along the floor at least once. Apart from that he didn't seem to have any other physical damage, not like Loki's. He had a few scratches here and there and bruises up his arms and on his face but they would heal up fine. The thing that bothered Steve and Thor the most was the way he was hanging limply but every few seconds he would twitch or let out a moan or cry, his eyes screwed tight as though he was in serious plain. They could see no physical damage so that meant the damage must be mental.

They were given no more time to think before the Chitauri attacked with ferocity. Both dodged, ducked, hit and shot, often working together to take the creatures down. There wasn't as many as there had been when they first entered the cave but there were still enough of them to test them and make them breathless quickly.

When their numbers were starting to dwindle, the Chitauri let up on their fight and started to back up even further into the cave. They held their weapons defensively as they backed out, keeping their eyes firmly fixed on the captain and the god. The two followed them a certain way but as the Chitauri backed round a corner and out of line if sight, they heard their hurried footfalls and knew they were trying to run.

"We must follow them," Thor said.

"But Tony, he's our priority," Steve argued.

"You stay then but I cannot let this vermin get away with what they had done."

"Alright," Steve conceded. "But Thor, be careful," He added as the god made to run off.

He nodded and tried for a faint smile of reassurance before turning on his heels and following the last Chitauri.

Steve ran back to Tony. Taking his weight with one arm and leaning the genius's body against his own, he reached up and cut the ropes that were binding him to the ceiling of rock. His body fell heavily against the captain but he managed to steady him before laying him gently onto the ground. He freed his hands then pressed the piece in his ear.

"Everything okay there, we've got Loki and Tony."

"Everything's fine, Bruce let us know about Loki but how's Tony?"

"Not good, I'm going to let S.H.I.E.L.D know they can move in now. Thor's run off after the last Chitauri but I think he'll be fine."

"Okay, see you soon then."

The line went dead and Steve let out a sigh of relief. He then checked on Bruce and, on finding out that he too was fine, contacted the helicarrier and let them know they could move in. They had to get Tony and Loki out. They both needed urgent medical attention. Fury answered with a curt response, saying they would be there in ten minutes.

And they were. First Steve heard the quick but light footfalls and then the other agents came into view. As Tony was shifted onto a stretcher and carried away, Steve collapsed backwards onto the floor and let out a shaky laugh. They had done it. They had found them. He knew that neither Loki nor Tony were in the clear yet but at least they were alive. It hadn't been too late.

Thor returned some time later when Steve finally picked himself up off the floor. By that point the cave was swarming with S.H.I.E.L.D agents so he wasn't alone. When Thor appeared, he got to him before the others could swarm him and asked him what happened.

"They had preparations in case of an attack. They ran off to find a device that they had planted that allowed them to escape. Just as I got to where they were, they were all disappearing."

"But how did they do that?"

"I could feel the magic that surrounded them when they left. Do not worry though, they are no longer on this planet. They didn't use the magic provided by Yggdrasil so they must have used their own kind. I would be able to feel it if it was Yggdrasil. By now they will be far away in another galaxy."

Steve could see the frustration and disappointment playing on the blond god's face.

"Look Thor, at least they're gone and Loki and Tony are safe. Only about five or six escaped, that's nothing. They won't be able to attack us with numbers like that. Loki's safe now, okay? That's the most important thing."

"Yes, I agree. Now I must go and see him."

They both left the cave together, weaving in and out of the other agents as they navigated the narrow paths. When they emerged into fresh air, they both took deep breaths before taking one of the small planes back to the helicarrier.

Tony felt someone take his weight but he barely registered it. He hurt. His brain hurt. Most of all he wanted to just lay down and cry. His arms ached from holding up his weight while his feet hurt from trying to find balance on the floor. The next sound he felt himself fall but he didn't hit the ground. He fell against something hard then was lowered to the ground. He thought he heard a voice he recognised but it couldn't be. This was probably just another cruel trick of the Chitauri's, they were trying to lure him into believing he was actually real and there and then they would show him the images again of why he couldn't be there.

He fought to open his eyes, he wanted to see some light. There was always so much darkness. It was suffocating. Why wouldn't they just let him go? Or better yet let him die? He had suffered enough. And it wasn't like he had anything to go back to now. That was all gone. Everything he loved, everyone he cared for. It was all gone.

The ground was hard and cold. He shivered as he lay there then something was arranged over him. A coat? A blanket? Why were the Chitauri doing this? It wasn't too much longer before he felt himself being picked up and rolled over by multiple pairs of hands. He was put onto something soft that rose off the ground and moved steadily through the cave. Was he on a stretcher? This was all too much and he couldn't even see or think. His brain hurt.

When he finally opened his eyes, he hurriedly shut them again. Even though the light in the room was dimmed it still hurt and caused the throbbing in his head to intensify.

"You're awake." Tony kept his eyes shut and didn't answer. "Tony? Do you want me to get one of the medics?"

"Are you being serious? Like I'm going to believe any of this," Tony said slowly.

"What? I'm serious. Tony, this is real," Bruce said frowning.

"NO! No it's not real. You're dead. DEAD. The whole team, Fury...everyone's dead and I'm not going to fall for one of your tricks again so try them on someone else."

"No Tony your confused, the Chitauri have manipulated you, they have made you see things that aren't real. The team aren't dead, we're all here on the helicarrier."

"Shut up," Tony shouted, still refusing to open his eyes.

"You have to listen, none of its real. The Chitauri are gone, your safe and everyone's alive and safe. Loki's recovering in another room."

"Loki. No."

"Yes Tony, please just open your eyes." He reached forward and gently took his hand. "See, real."

Tony tried to pull away from the contact but Bruce tightened his grip. He felt Bruce's rough skin on his and he relaxed just a little. It couldn't be real. It just couldn't.

"Please," Bruce pleaded. "Just open your eyes."

And he did. The light hurt again but he fought against the instinct to shut them. Instead he squinted until they adjusted then he turned his head slowly. He let out a breathy laugh as he saw Bruce sitting next to him.

"It can't be-"

"It is. It's real, I'm here and you're safe."

This time Tony let out a loud chuckle before he tugged Bruce into a tight hug. The whole time he kept whispering thankyou over and over. Nothing could express how much gratitude he had for this man or the whole team. They had saved him and Loki. Loki.

Suddenly he pulled back. "Loki, where is he?"

Bruce held up a hand to calm him while he pushed him back into the bed with the other.

"Like I said, he's in another room recovering. He suffered more physically than you did meaning he needed a lot more medical attention while we just needed to wait for you to wake up. Steve and Thor found you, I stayed with Loki when we found him."

"And Natasha and Clint?"

"Natasha got injured and so Clint stayed with her. She's alright now, nothing too bad. Thor's with Loki and no you cannot go and see him before you ask. He hasn't woken up yet but he's under a lot of anaesthetic. Because of his magic or godness he burns the stuff off quickly."

Tony nodded and relaxed back on the bed. He wanted to see Loki, he needed to see him. But he knew Bruce would never allow it and he also knew he wasn't quite up to it yet.

"Can I ask you something?" Bruce said, after a pause.

"Well you just did but go on anyway."

Bruce smiled then continued. "Why did you think that I was...that we were...dead?"

The genius hesitated before he answered. What was he supposed to say? How was he supposed to word the mental torture that he went through? He didn't think he could and he wasn't sure he wanted to talk about it. But this was Bruce. He trusted Bruce. He knew he wouldn't interrupt or push for information. He would only listen and nod or say nothing at all.

"They...the Chitauri...they hurt Loki by using these whips that were magic. They only took him away for weeks but then they came for me and took me away. I expected to get the same treatment but instead they did something to my head. They made me fall asleep and then I would start to see all these images of you all dying in...horrible ways. Every time they took me they showed me the same things until I believed them. The time you came for me they showed me a new image. It was...it was of Loki and...and they had..." His words turned to whispers and his shoulders shook from the suppressed sobs.

"Tony, Tony it's okay. You don't need to finish."

"But I was so scared. I thought I had lost him Bruce, I thought I had lost him and I couldn't deal with that. For that short time thinking he was gone was the worst I've ever felt. I thought that my heart was gone, there was nothing left. There was only pain." Tears ran down his cheeks as he stared at Bruce.

Anyone else would have thought it mean that the only one Tony was sad about losing was Loki. But Bruce knew this wasn't the case. Tony cared about them all and he also knew what it was like to be in love. The thought of losing Betty was too painful to think about for him so he could understand Tony's reaction to losing Loki. The things he'd seen must have been bad for him to react like this.

"I wanted to die. I wanted it to end," Tony said shakily.

"It's over now. Loki's here, he's alive and he will recover. And so will you. You'll get past this, I promise," Bruce replied.

"Good, I don't think I could survive something like that again."

Hopefully the next update will be quicker. Thankyou for reading, hope you enjoyed and please review?! :)