Author's Note: So enjoy!
The Other stared at the hour-glass floating before him. It was a virtual projection of the one he had left for Loki. And the god still wasn't by his side. He was becoming increasingly agitated by Loki's act of defiance. He vanished the hour-glass with a snarl. Perhaps he should just kill the children after all.
The first thing Tony saw when he and his companions entered the room was the trail of blood on the floor. Then he saw the tall, blue-skinned figure standing with his back to them. They all readied their weapons just in case there was trouble.
"I did not expect you to come for me. You should not have." Loki said. Tony lowered his arm, staring at the god. He had seen him in his Jotun form before but it was still quite a shock. "Loki?" he said in disbelief. The god turned, smiling wickedly.
His hair was longer than Tony remembered, close to reaching almost halfway down his back, ending just below his shoulderblades. He looked beyond tired, leaning on the now full-sized Chitauri Scepter.
"Hello Stark. It's been a while." he said quietly. Thor stepped forward. "Brother! We have come to take home. Where is Thanos and the Other?" he asked. Loki straightened and twirled his scepter between his hands. "They are waiting for me." Tony shifted uneasily. He didn't like the tone of Loki's voice. "Loki...I think we should go. Now. Is there another way out of here?" Loki smiled. "Of course." he replied.
"Alright then. Show us the way out so we can leave." the inventor suggested. Loki shook his head. "I can't."
Thor took a breath. "Loki do you know how to defeat those creatures out there? They seem indestructible." Loki turned to look at him. "Of course they are. The Other created them."
"Did he show you how to destroy them? Maybe you can help us get past them again if you do not know the other exit of this place." Thor said. Loki sighed. "You don't get it Thor. You never do." Tony took a couple more steps closer.
"Loki maybe you should wrap your hand up. You're bleeding all over the floor." he said. Loki looked down at his injury and frowned. "Oh..." was all he said. He lifted his hand to his face, watching the blood flow. "I suppose I should." he finished.
"Are you alright brother?" Thor asked uncertainly. Loki just stared at him again, the muscles in his left eye twitching. "I am not your brother Odinson. Can you not see that?" he said spreading his arms wide.
"Loki maybe we should talk about this some other time. Right now we need a way out of here." Steve said. Loki faltered. "I-I cannot. You...can't come with me. He is expecting me. He can't know you are here." he gasped. "What's going on Loki?" Tony asked.
He walked to the other side of the room and gripped the tapestry hanging on the wall. "There are children...I have to go. I will not allow any more to die because of my mistakes. He is expecting me to join him. He said if I refused he would kill he children."
"Where are they? Maybe we can get them out." Steve suggested. Loki shook his head. "I tried. He...moved the rest." he said slowly. "What do you mean the rest? Some are still here?" he asked. Loki ran his bloody hand through his hair. "It doesn't matter now. What was done cannot be undone." He sat down heavily, shaking.
Thor approached him cautiously. "Loki? Please tell us what we can do for you." Loki flinched when he put a hand on his shoulder. "I killed them..." he whispered so quietly that only Thor heard him.
"No. You didn't kill anyone. Come Loki. We must leave." he urged. Loki smiled. "I might as well take you with me. The Other will kill you anyway. It is only a matter of time." He let out a small laugh. He approached the tapestry again and pulled it down with a shudder.
The small group of Avengers stared at the glowing portal. "So I guess that's a good thing?" Tony asked.
Loki looked over at the hourglass on the table. It was almost empty.
"When we come out on the other side...begin running. Immediately. It may save you an up close encounter with the Other. Or Thanos. Do not stop. No matter what happens." he instructed. While the others prepared to go through, Thor hung behind with Loki.
"Where does this portal lead?" he asked. Loki grinned. "Where do you think it leads?" he asked, his voice like ice daggers. Thor swallowed. "You would attack your own home? Your family?" he asked, his voice showing his heartbreak. Loki glared at him.
"Asgard was never my home. I belong to a race of monsters." As he moved forward to go the portal himself he doubled over in pain, clutching his stomach.
"Brother!" Thor exclaimed leaping forward. Loki twisted away from the other god's touch. "Do not touch me!" he snarled, straightening.
"If you hope to have any chance of saving your precious realm, then go now before it starts." Loki said, his voice strained from the pain. "What will happen Loki?" The god looked over his shoulder at him.
"There will be death Thor. Do not mourn me when everything has finished. I do not need your pity."
Tony breathed a sigh of relief when he stepped out into the warm air. The effects to the potion had begun to wear off while they were talking to Loki, but it hadn't been that bad at first. Then the cold began through the suit to the skin and he was starting to get a little jealous of Loki and his blue cold resistant skin.
He pushed the thought aside as the two other gods emerged. "I thought I told you to run." Loki snapped. He froze suddenly as he felt another presence in his mind.
'Well it took you long enough. I've been waiting. And you know how much I hate to wait for things.' The Other paused. 'Who else did you bring with you?' he demanded. "I-I brought no one. I came alone." he said.
He felt the Other's power before he appeared. He turned to his companions. "You must go now. He is coming." Thor's grip on his hammer tightened. "Nonsense brother. We shall fight him together." he insisted. "No...go. Please. He is much more powerful than he appears."
"I think we should go Thor." Tony said. After a moment the blond god relented. "I hope this will not end with one of us losing the other." Then the four Avengers rushed off into the trees. Seconds later the Other appeared behind him.
Loki did not turn. He closed his eyes.
"Who else did you bring?" he demanded. "No one." Loki said in a shuddering breath. The Other circled around to stand in front of him.
Loki couldn't stop his head snapping back from the force of the slap. Or his body hitting the ground harder then he'd expected he would when the next strike landed. "You seem to be more trouble than you are worth. I am starting to regret my decision on keeping you alive." he growled, holding a blade to the god's throat.
"But...I will not kill you today when such important things are about to happen. Perhaps after."
When Thor saw the Other attack Loki, he would have rushed out to protect his brother if it hadn't been for the other three men holding him back, which was a real struggle since Thor was an extremely powerful god. Even with their combined strength they almost didn't manage it.
"We need to get back to the palace and warn everyone about this." Steve told him. He calmed down a bit, nodding. "Of course. Perhaps Heimdal can let us use the Bifrost." He looked around to make sure they were alone. As soon as he turned around, a white light engulfed them and when it faded the were stepping out in front of Heimdal.
"So...you did not retrieve him?" he asked. Thor shook his head. "He travels with the Other. I believe they are on their way here to attack. We must return to the palace quickly." He didn't even wait for the others. He swung his hammer around and took off in the air. Tony followed the god in his suit. Steve nd Bruce however mounted their horses and spurred them onward.
When they arrived back at the palace Thor was already in the throne room, speaking with his father.
"I saw him father. He warned me of the Other's plans. They will attack Asgard soon. We must ready the army for battle. We have a day or two at most. We have the strength of Jotunheim behind us. As well as Vanaheim, Alfheim and Helheim. I am sure the dwarves would come to our aid if we went to them." he continued. Odin sighed.
"What progress has been made on the weapon?" the Allfather asked. "I have not spoken to Lady Jane and Darcy Lewis in a few weeks but they informed me they are not yet finished." Odin stood and walked in front of him. "Alright Thor. I shall have the soldiers stand ready to attack." Thor nodded.
"Alright. I do not think a quick trip to Midgard to visit Lady Jane and check on the progress of the weapon would hurt." he said hopefully. Odin frowned. "If you must." he replied after several long moments. The thunder-god nodded happily. "I shall return as soon as I can. I will not stay long." he promised.
Heimdal smiled as Thor waited eagerly for him to open the Bifrost. "Come now Heimdal. I must see Lady Jane." The man sighed. "In these perilous times where attack is imminent, you still make attempt to seek out your love? I must commend you my prince. You are quite loyal to your lady. I hope for her sake that we are victorious in this war." Thor nodded and stepped through the portal.
When he stepped through the window, Jane jumped, gun in hand. "My Lady, it is only I. My father grows anxious to know the progress of the weapon." he said. She smiled."Darcy and I made some little tweaks here and there. But I think we're finished." She rubbed her eyes tiredly. At the mention of her name, Darcy sat up from under the table, still half asleep.
"Oh just like that you masterful God of Sexy Mischievous Goodness." she mumbled. Thor and Jane just stared at her. Then Thor looked over at Jane. "Please don't ask." she said before he could speak. He nodded, thankful for the advice.
"So ladies, where is the weapon? I fear we may need it very soon." Jane nodded and led him to the middle of the room. She reached over and pulled back the cover on the device. Underneath it looked like a giant laser gun.
"How does it work?" he asked. "Well, before the Tessaract disappeared, it was going to be powered by that. But we had to change it. It's got two ways. See this lever here?" she said pointing. The god nodded. "That's how you turn it on. And this here changes the range of the energy emitted from here." She pointed to a lever first and then to the front of the machine. She went on to explain the complex design of the weapon and where the buttons were and what they did. She paused when she got to the last one.
"What is this one?" he asked. "This is a 'when-all-else-fails' button. You send the weapon into the enemy after someone presses it. You've got a minute and a half before it explodes. But if you hold the button down and push the lever up over here, it will explode immediately." she finished. "Meaning you need someone who is willing to die for 'The Cause' if you will." Darcy cut in.
He nodded. "This is quite a lot to remember." he said quietly. Darcy hopped over to them beaming. "Here you go. An extremely detailed guide to the weapon. I knew she would forget to make one with all the work she put into it, so I did it for her. You're welcome by the way." She winked at Thor. "And I want you to bring your brother here as soon as all this crazy stuff is over. I've got a gift for him." Thor smiled. "I shall see what I can do." he promised. "And don't you die up there. You and Jane haven't even had sex yet."
Heimdal cocked his head to the side, feeling the change in the air. He could feel something was wrong. He turned around just as an arrow whizzed past his head.
The Watcher rolled and sprang to his feet, his sword slashing at a group of Chitauri soldier attacking him. Several of them surrounded him and blasted him with their weapons. He landed flat on his back, and groaned, feeling his armor digging into his flesh. He looked over at his sword, lying ten feet away. He rolled onto his stomach and inched toward it. One of the soldiers hissed and placed the tip of its blaster against the back of his neck.
"Do not try to move Gatekeeper. I come for what is rightfully mine. Isn't that right Trickster?" the Other said, looking over his shoulder. Loki stepped beside him nodding. "Yes." he said.
"Now where was I? Oh yes. What is mine. Men continue on to the palace! Kill everyone in your path." he ordered. Heimdal couldn't see them but he tensed as he felt the rush of the air wash over him as the soldiers flew over him. The soldier followed his comrades.
As soon as he was free, Heimdal jumped up and grabbed his sword. He rushed back to the end of the bridge and thrust his sword into a hidden slot. Light poured out of the top of the building, sending it up into the night sky, letting it be seen for miles around. Almost immediately horns could be heard being sounded from within the palace Other growled in annoyance.
"Why must you Asgardians make it difficult on yourselves?" he asked. He turned to Loki. "Kill him and then join me when you are done." he ordered, turning around and heading to the palace.
Heimdal eyed Loki warily as he approached. He looked much different from the last time he's seen him, his skin now blue and his eyes a Jotun.
Loki raised his scepter and fired a blast of energy at him. He winced as the heat of the attack shot past the side of his face, burning a bit. He stared at Loki.
"You could have hit me with that." he pointed out. The god stared at him. "I know." he said tiredly. "I-I can't...do this Heimdal. But I can't not do it." he said hoarsely. Heimdal stepped toward him. "You can help us. We may not be able to withstand the numbers of those things. With your magic we have a much stronger..." he trailed off as he studied the pained look on Loki's face. "You can't use magic can you?" he asked.
He closed his eyes. "I am sorry Heimdal." He hissed as he felt the scepter send a shooting pain up his arm. "I must go. You must also. He cannot know I did not kill you. The consequences would be...most unpleasant." he said.
"But I must open the bridge. Thor is in Midgard. He will request to return soon." Loki sighed. "Do what you must." he said. "But if I open the Bifrost then the Other will know I am not dead. He may punish you." Loki smiled. "There is no doubt he will. However I no longer care about my own physical being. What more can he do? Well...he could kill me but that does not matter.
"Open it. Allow Thor to return. Perhaps his assistance will allow you to be victorious."