Chapter 18: New and Improved Killer Robots

SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS

"Hey, can anybody read me? Things are getting pretty hectic out here," Tony urged over the comms.

Natasha pressed a hand to her earpiece as she led Dr. Foster down the hall. "I read you. We're on our way. I need an update on the targets. There was too much interference."

"Ugh. Right. The looters? Looks like a lot. There are two different gangs. The mean-looking ones are swarming the building. Like, maybe eight or nine of them?"

There was an ominous creak from the stairwelll. Natasha held up a hand to stop Jane and aimed her weapon at the shadowed walkway.

"Tony..."

"Uh... Make that ten, but I think a couple of them stayed outside to guard the exits, or-" Tony cut himself off and there was a small explosion outside. "Sentinel's here! Gotta kill the comms."

Natasha disengaged her earpiece and pulled it out of her ear, waving Jane back towards the door on their right. Three heavy someones were stomping their way up the stairs, two steps at a time. Natasha holstered her weapon.

"What?!" Jane whispered, incredulously.

"Shh. Get back," Natasha whispered back, pushing her through the doorway.

"But-"

"Sentinel," Natasha explained and carefully closed the door, hiding the terrified astrophysisist.

Three barrel-chested men of varying muscular builds charged into the hall and aimed their weapons at Natasha.

"Who the fuck are you?" The largest, most heavily pierced looter growled out in a thick Jersey accent.

Natasha smiled wryly up at him.

On the other side of the door Jane jumped and covered her mouth at the loud thuds and what sounded suspiciously like cracking bones on the other side of the door. Someone cried out in pain and there was a another wet-sounding crunch. Then a pair of high-heels clicked over the wood towards her and Natasha opened the door.

"All clear," she reported matter-of-factly. Somewhere off to the right, a man let out a pained groan. Natasha looked back at her half-conscious opponent then at Jane. "He's staying down."

"Uh huh," Jane agreed, following her back out into the hall.

"We'll head out the back," Natasha explained while they ascended the stairs. "The Sentinel hasn't spotted us yet, so as long as we can take down our combatants without gunfire or registered tech, we should be fine."

"Oh, is that all?" Jane joked.

Natasha turned back to give her a questioning look.

"I can't do that," Jane elaborated, gesturing back the way they came, towards the unlucky looters. "I might not be useless, but I am definitely not the type of person who can kill an armed man over twice my size with nothing but a sock."

"You're still fixated on that," Natasha observed.

"Are you kidding? I saw it and I still don't understand how you did that!"

Natasha paused outside the kitchen and rested her hand on the other woman's shoulder. "Look at me. We can do this."

They both stared at each other for a beat. Then Jane took a deep breath and nodded.

"Ok. Let's get out of here."

"Good." Natasha halted in pulling her hand back and brushed at Jane's shoulder.

"Agent Romanoff?"

Natasha frowned. "Sorry. I think I just got some of that guy's blood on your sweater."

Jane let out a little nervous giggle. "Don't worry about it. I've got more."

JÖTUNHEIM

"Oh, take pity on him, Helblindi. The idiot always means well," remarked a familiar drawl, freezing Thor in place. "He is merely being... Well, Thor."

The corner of King Helblindi's mouth quirked upwards in a small smile and he looked fondly over his shoulder at the bundle of raven's feathers on his throne. The dark shape stretched out a pair of long, booted legs and a leather-gloved hand reached up out of the cloak to grab the back of the throne for leverage. Loki turned to face them, smirking down at his foster brother.

"If I didn't know you better, Thor. I'd think that you had missed me."

"Brother!" Thor exclaimed, a big happy smile spreading over his face.

Loki watched with a raised eyebrow as Thor scrambled to his feet to hover hopefully at the foot of the steps. "Do try to contain yourself, Thor. The entire realm could hear that shout," Loki corrected his overly enthusiastic foster-brother. His new boots echoed over the stone stairs as he took a few steps closer to Helblindi's perch without crossing the barrier that he represented.

"I feared that you might perish before I could reach you," Thor explained, his expression saddening at the reminder.

Loki forced a bitter smirk, barely more than a flash of teeth in the moonlit court. "Oh, your father showed no interest in killing me. Nullified, yes. But my empty shell would have continued to draw breath."

Thor had shifted from elated relief to looking utterly crushed at the mention of 'his father' and his intentions. "I did not realize... Please, brother, there is little time. My friends are guarding our passage back to Midgard, but they will be discovered soon."

Loki's ruby red eyes watched him intently, not showing any inclination towards making this easy.

King Helblindi looked from Loki to his nearly desperate sibling, then padded lightly down to favor the mutant still sitting on the floor with a welcoming look.

"Loki, I shall leave you to entertain your noble guest in private. Milady?" He held out his hand to the augur.

"Wanda," Wanda informed the King, letting him lift her to her feet with surprising gentleness.

Thor and Loki both turned to look at the King.

"Sire. If I may, this your court. Surely it would be more apropriate for you to remain on the throne for-" Loki began. Thor abandoned whatever objection he'd been about to voice and gave his brother a narrow look.

"Don't 'Sire' me, Lopt. I am certain that your Grace can manage in this instance without a King's oversight," Helblindi countered drily. Suddenly, Thor could see the resemblence.

"And Miss Maximoff?" Loki asked, then frowned at his own inexplicable knowledge. He wondered vaguely how he could have gotten that from Charles, considering just how deeply he had burrowed into Loki's subconscious. Thor was giving him a funny look now too.

"Me," Wanda clarified, holding up a hand like a schoolgirl.

"A brief tour," Helblindi half answered, half offered.

"I am not sure that that is-" Thor began to decline.

"Yes, please!" Wanda accepted happily. Despite her almost childlike behavior, Loki thought she looked much more lucid in that moment.

"As you wish," Helblindi agreed, leading her out before the others could protest any further. "You know, I have not been to your realm for centuries. How fare the people of Midgard these..." The heavy doors clunked shut behind them.

Loki and Thor slowly turned back to face each other. Neither one spoke for a beat.

"She's probably safe with him," Loki assured, breaking the awkward silence.

Thor, rather typically, took this as an attempt at obfuscation. Although not in the way that Loki would have expected.

"They call you by the titles of the third gender," he noted, giving the Trickster an appraising look.

"I am of the third gender," Loki dismissed with the slightest tilt of his head, retreating to sit on the edge of Helblindi's throne. There was no reason to get into this now. It was already centuries too late, no matter how much it still bothered him.

"Not in title," Thor replied. Predictable. Pointless arguing.

"Not in Asgard."

"Loki, I know not what you are plotting, but it will have to cease. I have come to return you to Midgard where you will be safe," Thor said, in a commanding tone.

Loki made himself more comfortable, leaning leisurely over one arm of his brother's oversized throne. "I am safe here. It was thoughtful of you to drop by, Thor, but your assistance is not required."

"Brother." Thor began ascending the steps towards Loki's perch, his patience vanishing.

"There is no plot, Thor!" Loki snapped. "That man- that King- is my brother. I could have his throne if I wished to claim the same right that I did in Odin's court, but I haven't because that was never who I truly am. The Allfather wanted another son; I gave him one. He wanted two future Kings; I tried to become one. But here I am Lopt, the Sorcerer. That is all that they have asked of me, and that is all that I want. I am safe here because I am family. Why should I give that up?"

Thor stopped at the edge of the dais and knelt down to match Loki's eyeline. "You are my family."

Loki began to pull away, so Thor leaned in a little closer resting a hand on the armrest just inches away from the sorcerer's arm.

"I want you to be safe. You do not know these people."

Loki shook his head and averted his eyes. Thor caught his chin and made him meet his eye draining the blue coloring from Loki's skin as his camoflage reflex instantly took over.

"Odin will come for you. You have done great damage to this realm and he will use it against you. Blood or not, you cannot be certain that this King's court will stand with you against the Allfather."

"You would have me trust more in you, Odinson? Am I to believe that I would be guarded better by your human friends?" Loki argued, but his shining eyes were giving him away. He wanted so badly to get to know his lost family. He wanted truly to belong for once.

"I will guard you better," Thor corrected, almost smiling at Loki's dissenting huff. "As for my friends, they may not be as powerful as your brother, but I know that we can trust them. Whether or not you believe it, you can trust in me, Brother."

"You need my counsel in order to stop your foe," Loki summarized, swallowing down the uncomfortable tightness in his throat. "That does not necessarily mean that you need me." He knew that he was lying to himself as much as Thor, but if he could just get a moment to consider, he could find a way to save Charles. Then it wouldn't matter that staying was probably suicide. He would be free, and no one else would be paying the price for his peace.

"I am not leaving this place without you," Thor warned.

"Hmm. Give it time. I think eventually the reality of your situation will sink into that thick skull of yours," Loki dismissed, pushing Thor back with a hand on his shoulder so he'd have more room to stand. The tempestuous cloud that was Byleistr was nearing them on the other side of the double doors, and his dark emotions were preceeding him.

"I have realized my part in this sometime ago. It is you who will not allow me the chance of redemption."

"Oh, poor you," Loki mocked with a theatrical pout, as the doors behind Thor were thrown open. "Evening, Brother. Whose head shall roll now?"

Byleistr stormed over to the bottom steps of the dais and glared up at Loki as though Thor didn't exist. "Yours."

Thor's hand reached for Mjölnir of it's own accord, forgetting the weapon's absence.

Loki just raised an eyebrow, unphased. "But I haven't done anything."

The 'yet' went unspoken, but both men heard it loud and clear regardless.

"It's that Aesir wench," Byleistr clarified.

"Lady Sif," Loki corrected, noticing Thor's surprise. "She followed me."

"She has broken out of the mages' quarters."

"Ah. Is Haldis all right?" Loki inquired. He'd actually quite liked the bossy old crone. Rough or not, the old Mage was a healer through and through, regardless of who needed hir aid.

"Ze's fine... merely agitated," Byleistr said, visibly discomfited at the reminder. "Ze was certain that the prisoner would come for you."

Loki smirked. "That sounds like our Sif," he remarked, shooting a sideways glance at Thor before pushing past him down the stairs. "How much does she know?"

"About your treatment? She knows that you weren't being held near her." At the looks that answer earned him from both Asgardians, Byleistr added, "It was hardly any concern of hers."

"She doesn't know that you've cured me then."

"Brother. The presence in your mind-" Thor began.

Loki placed a finger over his lips, still looking at Byleistr. "Is gone now. Keep up. In that case she's bound to be violent. It would be better if you did not intervene."

"And if she attacks my men, or you, for that matter?"

"I advise you not to shoot her again," Loki answered, heading out into the corridor.

SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS

Jane crept out the back door of the old historical building at the Black Widow's signal. The assassin herself had climbed up onto the roof of the rusty, tin storage shed, ready to take out any humanoid threats who tried to sneak up on them. How she had managed to do so with such grace and ease in this freezing downpour, Jane couldn't understand. It seemed that she was doomed to only know people who made her feel comparatively uncoordinated. Luckily, so far the Sentinel seemed to be more interested in the looters roaming past on the street out front, and to a lesser extent, Tony. They had to hope that would last until the others returned.

"Climb up as quietly as you can. Try to avoid the bin on the far left; it's damaged," Natasha advised, as though that were the largest hurdle involved for the untrained civilian.

Jane nodded and pulled herself up onto the garbage bins lining the side of the shed with a muffled grunt. A rough looking middle-aged man with a machete strapped to his back ran up to the other end of the alley. Natasha pressed herself against the dirty roofing, and Jane stilled, unable to hide due to her current placement. It was no good. The looter saw her.

"Hey! You! What you doin' over there?" he called, grabbing the handle of his weapon as he stalked closer.

Jane scrambled up toward the roof as quickly as she could, but her feet kept slipping. She almost managed it but then her leg slipped. Natasha threw herself towards the edge, reaching out to grab her hand but the rain made it too slick. Jane slipped out of the other woman's grip before she could pull her up, landing hard on her side on top of the two undamaged trash cans. "Ah!" She winced, hugging herself with one arm while her other arm dangled over the side of the bins.

"Dermo!" Natasha muttered, shifting to aim her gun at the oncoming threat without acknowledging the searing pain pulsing through her wounded shoulder. She was fairly certain that last move had just torn a couple of her stitches, and to top it off, a gunshot was sure to give their location away. She watched and waited for the right moment. If she did have to take this guy out, she was going to have to do it with a single shot.

"Come on, Lady. We don't have to make this hard. What you got, ah? Money? Rations? We don't want a fight now," the looter told Jane, drawing his blade.

"Nothing that you want. Just go now, and we won't have any problems," Jane offered breathlessly, reaching over the busted bin while she spoke. Above her, Natasha targeted the man's temple and prepared to take the shot.

The looter chuckled and took another step closer.

"Fine," Jane conceded, adding more audibly,"Hold your fire!" She rolled towards him using her weight to fuel the attack as she swung the top of the metal bin lid into the robber's upper chest. The blow knocked him back a couple of steps. He moved to swing his machete, but she hit his arm with the lid and then boxed his ears with her muddy palms. "I am so sick, of people pointing weapons at me!" she spat, and knocked him out with a knee to the head. There was a shuffling at the other end of the alley. Jane looked up to see a younger looter, probably this man's partner, staring at her. She took a threatening step towards him. "What!"

He hurried away.

"That was pretty good," Natasha complimented.

"Thanks," Jane replied, turning back towards the shed. "I can do this."

JÖTUNHEIM

Lokiignored Thor chasing after him through the hall. Helblindi and Wanda had made greater progress than the Trickster would have expected, perhaps even reaching the courtyard. A flicker of scarlet light danced over the stone wall ahead of Loki, stopping him in his tracks.

"Brother?" Thor questioned, coming to a stop behind him.

Loki tilted his head, studying the blank wall.

"Are you unwell?"

Loki reached out and brushed his finger over one of the stones, feeling a burst of playful mirth. Scarlet light flashed around the edges of the stone and poured out to coalesce into a phantom of Wanda.

It giggled. "Thought so."

"Where have you gone?" Loki prompted.

Wanda's likeness grinned at him and beckoned for him to follow before dashing away down the corridor. Loki smiled faintly and strolled after the bubbly projection. She darted out into the courtyard and waited for him to catch up. Loki paused a few paces away from her, and frowned, searching his icy surroundings for any sign of Helblindi or the Scarlet Witch.

"Where is everyone?" Thor pondered warily, looking at the vacant area around them before turning to Byleister.

"There should be two guards stationed here," he agreed, walking past the suspicious Thunderer to the platform on Loki's far right. Loki watched the others before turning back to Wanda's projection.

"You've stopped. Why is that?" he thought aloud. The phantom flitted over to the other side of one of the large iron benches placed around the copse of trees at the center of the courtyard, and spread her arms out wide.

"Here I am!" she announced, happily.

Loki squinted at the illusion, a feeling of foreboding rising in his chest. He walked round to the other side of the bench, dispersing the illusion. The real Wanda was slumped over the seat almost as if she were asleep. There was a jötun guard lying in a heap at her feet.

"Brother!" Loki called, resting a hand on the side of the girl's face and closing his eyes in relief at the strong, if sporadic flow of emotions that told him she was perfectly fine.

"What have you f- Wanda!" Thor interupted himself as he rounded the end of the bench.

"She's unharmed," Loki stated, turning to look through the stone walkway on his left. It was smaller than the others, mainly used for utility work. Helblindi's unconscious form was crammed into it with blood dripping down one side of his face. Loki surged to his feet. "Lady Sif!"

He heard the clink of Byleister drawing his short-sword then there was silence.

"I know you're here! You want me, then come out and face me!" Loki shouted again.

There was a rustling sound, then a dark shape dropped down out of the closest of the three fir trees and tackled him into the breezeway.

Loki looked at Helblindi's bruised hand now almost brushing his cheek, then smirked up at Sif and held his arm up between them, forming a blade of ice. Sif leaned back out of the way- just in time to avoid getting her face sliced- and smacked the back of his hand hard with the hilt of her retracted double-edged sword. The frost-blade broke down the middle and Loki let out a roar of pain, joining both his hands together and knocking her sideways into the nearest pillar. Sif let out a pained grunt and stumbled to her feet while Loki rolled aside and did the same.

Byleistr stepped forward to intervene but Thor grabbed his arm. "Wait. Stop this, both of you! I'm sure that we can-"

"Shut up, Thor," Loki snapped, hurling a ball of green energy at Sif.

She easily dodged it, ducking into a forward flip that ended with a double-kick to his chest. Loki slid backwards into the pillar behind him and coughed, then threw a hand up to block her from hitting him in the head with her bladeless hilt. He shoved it away, and tried to punch her in the chest but she turned, flashing him a wild grin, and it became a glancing blow to her side. She slapped him rather playfully across the chin and danced back away.

On the sidelines, Thor's eyes narrowed suspiciously. This behavior looked awfully familiar.

Loki threw a couple of ice blades past Sif's shoulder, causing her to jump to the left. Then he dropped down, kicking her legs out from under her. Sif turned it into a roll and swung her leg up in a kick to Loki's side. He caught it and moved to punch her, but she struck him in the stomach with the blunt end of her sword while the blade on the other end released. Sif spun the weapon around and slapped him with said blade.

"Ah," Loki gasped, touching the scratch on his cheek, and threw Sif backwards with a pulse of green light straight from his core.

Sif slid down the pillar with an audible crack and rubbed her sore head, scowling accusingly up at her opponent. "That was quite enough of that, Little Prince."

"You cut my face," Loki snarked back. Thor was shaking his head. It felt like he was getting sucked into one of Sif's impromptu training sessions from Loki's juvenile period.

"Only a little. You were leaving your guard wide open. You are lucky that I could tell it was truly you this time." Sif countered unrepentantly.

"Hold on a moment," Byleistr exclaimed, lowering his half-raised weapon.

"You have neglected your battle practice," Sif diagnosed.

"I've had a lot on my mind," Loki defended, looking affronted. "You could have had my eye out with that! Not to mention my brother!"

"You must be joking," Byleistr concluded, looking resigned.

"Who?" Sif responded to Loki's complaint.

"King Helblindi," Thor supplied. Beside him, Byleistr scrubbed a hand over his face, muttering to himself in the old tongue.

"Oh. Is he?" Sif shrugged. "He wouldn't let me see you."

"I cannot imagine why," Loki said sarcastically. "You are so very charming."

"Ugh. Don't be so vain. It's barely a scratch," Sif dismissed knowingly.

"That isn't the point," Loki corrected. Somehow it didn't quite sound convincing. Their squabble was interrupted by a groan from Helblindi. Loki crouched down beside him as the King's eyes fluttered open. Helblindi squinted blearily up at his youngest sibling.

"Loki?"

"Yes. How are you feeling?"

Helblindi poked at the scratch on Loki's cheek.

"I'm fine," Loki assured, catching his hand. "You remember what happened."

"Valkyrie tackled me-" Helblindi broke off and shook his head as if to clear the fog from it. "She demanded to know where you were... The mortal girl punched her."

Loki smiled, feeling inexplicably proud of Wanda's spunk, but hastily stifled the unwanted sentiment.

"I knocked him out. Rest a while and you'll be fine," Sif stated impatiently.

"Do not test my patience, Milady," Byleistr warned.

"Heimdall will have seen us here. The Allfather is on his way," Sif urged, looking at Loki.

"That is no concern of yours," Loki snapped, reaching out to help Helblindi to his feet.

Helblindi pulled his arms out of Loki's grip. "It is mine."

"Brother..." Loki began.

Helblindi beckoned Byleistr closer. "I have been considering your punishment for the destruction you have wrought in our realm."

"I can help to repair it. I know that your forgiveness will not come easily... but whatever the cost, whatever you ask of me, my King, I will give it gladly."

Helblindi's expression shuttered off, becoming unreadable. "Loki, childe of Laufey, I hereby banish you from this realm."

Loki shook his head, feeling the blood drain out of his face. "No. Please, just give me a chance."

"My decision is final. You will be expelled to Midgard until you have proven yourself worthy of return, effective immediately," Helblindi continued, his impassive mask barely faltering.

Byleister hauled Loki to his feet and began to lead him away.

"Brother, please..." Loki trailed off. There was no point. Helblindi wasn't even willing to look at him anymore.

Loki put up a few halfhearted struggles with Byleistr's manhandling while Thor followed after him carrying the unconscious Wanda. It ended when he elbowed his unfairly muscular escort in the ribs, and Byleistr, being the testier of his two jötun brothers cuffed him upside the head. "Stop squirming. You're like a knobbly ground eel."

"Let go of my arm and I will."

"I wouldn't," Sif advised from her place on Loki's other side. "I fell for that once. He bit me and darted off into the village for half the night."

"You can hardly hold me accountable for what a mere fifty-year-old did or didn't lie about," Loki snarked.

"Do not worry. I wasn't going to," Byleister conceded to Sif. Eying the faint crescent shaped scar on Sif's forearm, he nudged Loki forward. "After you."

They had reached the dilapidated temple that housed the rift leading back to Earth. Loki sighted, and allowed himself to be herded towards, what remained of the entryway. Only half the wall still existed, but Thor seemed to know exactly where they needed to go.

"The missing window to the right of the altar," he recited joining them inside.

"Feel free to demonstrate. Ow!" Loki complained when Byleistr flicked his ear.

"Our King's word is final," he reminded the Trickster.

"I will surely miss you, too, Dear Brother," Loki quipped, flicking his eyes over the warrior's guarded stance. "I suppose a hug might overtax you."

Byleister smirked and gave him a semi-painful 'pat' on the back. "Try not to die."

"Yes, I thought so."

Sif rested a hand on Loki's shoulder and he shrugged it off. A telltale rumble tore through the sky overhead.

"You take care as well," Loki told Byleistr as Sif grabbed his wrist and dragged him through the hidden passage.

Thor started to follow them but Byleistr stepped closer, not quite blocking his path.

"You will look after hir."

"You have my word."

Byleistr studied him, seeming to find whatever he was looking for, then conceded with a curt nod, striding away out of the temple.

Loki looked around the darkened, empty room in Massachusetts, feeling somewhat comforted by the sensation of Charles finally reimerging in response to their new surroundings. There was abandoned scientific equipment strewn about on either side of the rift, with no sign of where it's owner had gone.

"Where are they?" Thor wondered, having just popped into existence behind Loki. Wanda let out a sleepy sound, beginning to come around. Thor carefully placed her against the wall while Lady Sif ventured out into the hall. She had been gone for less than a minute before there was a loud crash and a man's voice cried out in pain.

"Still? No, can't be the same fight," Wanda muttered to herself, shifting awake. "Oh! We're back," she noted, completely alert and lucid.

Nice of you to join us, Charles, Loki greeted.

I thought that you might have some trouble explaining my presence to the court healer. Ze, was being exceedingly thorough.

I understand. Care to tell me how we know the girl?

You remember Francis and Peter. Charles didn't bother to pretend that it was a question.

I see. How numerous is your brood?

I am going to overlook that remark in light of current events.

Sif jogged back into the room. "I have not located our allies, but it appears that a battle has taken place here."

Thor walked over to face her and discuss her discovery. Loki turned to follow him, but Wanda grasped his hand. She was looking at something over his shoulder.

"Uh oh..." the mutant sing-songed, back to her almost childlike demeanor and pressed a finger to her lips. "Shhhh."

A huge shadow blocked out the window behind Loki. He slowly turned to see one of the giant, metal behemoths turning its red scanner sight to the window.

Sentinel! the consciousness cried out. His panic was infectious and Loki dropped down to crouch over Wanda and hide them both from view before he even registered what he was doing. Thor thankfully took the hint and dragged Sif out into the hall as red laser light swept through the room.

A/N: Thanks for reading. Please review.