Eighty Five
The mission as planned, except the Chitauri armor on the Hydra agents, the fact Strucker got away, the powered duo that tried to get the better of us, I got called out for my swearing again. Oh, and the strange vision of the other side of the wormhole, watching the earth being destroyed. My fallen teammates, dead or dying around me. Slain by my hand, my gauntlets still smoking from the final blasts. Even worse, my beautiful Loki, was dying at my feet. His unspoken words mouthed 'Why?'.
I shook the vision from my head, grabbing the scepter. The same scepter Loki once held, once tried to rule our world, once tried to take my mind from me. And possibly the same tool that could get me to Asgard.
"Thor? How long before this needs to be back in Asgard?" I asked after we returned home.
"The revels for our victory is in three days?"
"Yes."
"Then I will return it the day after. Why?"
"I'd like to study it, see if I can replicate the metal." I explained taking the scepter from him.
"Be careful with it, as it's still very important to Asgard."
"Yes, of course." I smiled widely, running off to the lab.
I set it on the desktop, letting Jarvis analyze it. I hoped it had a secret for getting to Asgard. I sat typing code to further study the scepter. Kitty worked his way around my ankles. I reached a hand to scratch the top of his head, my focus on the screen. He jumped into my lap, demanding attention, pushing his face into mine.
"Alright, I get it. You need love too." I sighed. "I'm glad you still love me. Don't you?" I rubbed his head. He meowed gazing at me with big green eyes.
"Yup, must have suffered some brain damage back there." I spoke to myself. "Swore you had blue eyes."
"What is that doing here?" Bruce walked in pointing at the scepter. Kitty ran off to hide.
"Studying it."
"Anything good?"
"It's made of an Asgardian metal, but I was more interested in the stone." I shrugged.
"Are you trying to mind control someone."
"No, but check this out." I gestured him over to the holofloor. "This is Jarvis." I brought his display up from the floor.
"Yeah."
"This is the stone." I brought up the other display. It was a blue orb that was in consent motion. "What does it look like to you?"
"It looks like it's thinking. An artificial intelligence." He said studying it.
"Exactly. And I know exactly what we can use this for, if we can harness it."
"Ultron."
"It's going to be easier to implement with the scepter here. We have three days. You in?"
"You sure you want to be messing with that kind of power? You heard what Hill said? Remember what Loki did with that thing." Bruce reminded.
"Yeah, I remember. But we can learn from it. Maybe stop this whole Thanos thing before we all end up dead. Three days, that's all I'm looking for."
"Three days. Learn what you can from it."
We worked furiously for the three days trying to download the complex data into one of the drones. We failed attempt after attempt and was getting worse with the lack of sleep. I could see the twitchy green rage monster wanting to show himself, so I sent Bruce to sleep. He protested and ended up passing out in a corner. I piled some blankets and pillows around him. It was our third night, and the prototype wouldn't accept the new programming. I sat in another corner, exhausted.
"I don't understand. Why won't you upload?" I said to the scepter, which I had taken with me. I had wanted something of Loki with me, maybe to keep me calm, maybe because I missed him that much.
"How did Loki get you to work? Is it because he has magic?" I spoke aloud again, caressing the metal with my thumb. "Loki, you would know how to get this to work. I miss you so much. I'm so sorry for everything. Please come home! I'll do anything!"
"I know you will." Loki's voice echoed in my head. I lifted my head, I wasn't in the lab any longer. I was sitting in a hill, the blue green grass swaying lightly in the breeze. Gold and purple flowers dotted the landscape. I sat under the lone tree, it's orange leaves slowly falling to the ground.
"I've made it to Asgard." I shouted.
"No, you haven't." Loki sat down next to me.
"Then this is a dream. I'm still lying on the lab floor." I sighed in defeat.
"This is Alfheim, don't you recognize it?"
"I've been under a lot of stress, probably why I'm having strange dreams about you and being in Alfheim." I sighed again. "I have three days with your scepter before it gets sent back to Asgard. I just can't figure out how to get to you."
"But Tony, this isn't a dream."
"It isn't? I'm really here?" I lunged for him, but he backed off.
"No. Your soul is here, your body is lying on the lab floor. The scepter allows your soul to travel. I can't touch you, it might break your concentration and send you back." He quickly explained.
"Oh." I put my hands in my lap. "Well, whether this is real or not, I wanted to say I'm sorry."
"I know you are, and you don't need to be."
"No, I really mean it. I've been miserable without you. I don't remember anything that happened, but I know I'm sorry. Please forgive me and come home." I plead, tears in my eyes.
"Tony, it wasn't your fault. I can't explain why neither of us remember that night, but those pictures I can explain." He started with a sad expression on his face.
"How do you know?"
"I did my own research, and I have a telepathic friend." He smiled softly. "This is not how I wanted to tell you though. Oh, how do I do this." He got up, pacing in front of me.
"Loki?"
"Tony, I wanted be with you, to hold you when you found out."
"Then come home. Then we can be together. I still love you, I still want you. Come home to me. It can wait until then." I begged.
"Is my brother still there?"
"Yes, he's supposed to take the scepter back to Asgard tomorrow night after the benefit dinner for war veterans."
"Good, I'm not eager to see my brother. Or the soldier." He breathed and sat back next to me.
"I caught that when I last saw that asshole. He had said something about being glad he helped Thor get rid of you. Claimed it was better for the team."
"Did he now?"
"Yeah, I already beat him for us. So, think you'll be home tomorrow night?"
"I look forward to it. You need to get home, before someone finds your lifeless body."
"I know I have to, but I don't want to." I whined.
"I don't want you to leave either. Just remember you have my heart, and I have yours." He smiled fishing out the jeweled Arc Reactor from under his shirt. My eyes brightened. "I love it. I love you."
"I love you, too Loki."
He gently fanned his hands around my cheeks, but didn't touch me, his hands just hovering over my skin. He leaned in close, his lips barely touching mine.
"I'll be home soon." He whispered closing the gap kissing me.
"Loki!" I shouted as I awoke rather forcibly on the floor of the lab. I had one hell of a kink in my neck and the pattern of the tile imprinted on my arm and probably my face. Was what I experienced real or a dream?
I suddenly needed to know what happened the night I couldn't remember. I set the scepter back on the console and headed down to my penthouse.
"Jarvis, did you ever finish restoring that data that went missing in December?" I addressed my overly snarky AI.
"Yes, sir. The restoration is complete."
"May I have it?" I asked.
"Surveillance restoration was completed and downloaded to Mr. Laufeyson's phone."
"You did not make a back up copy?" I shouted.
"You did not ask me to." Jarvis retorted. I rolled my eyes.
"Great, just great."