Tony Stark approached the balcony at incredible speed. He stopped before the CMS device and raised a hand. Aimed a repulsor blast at the whirring machine.
The tesseract barricaded itself with a shield of pure energy, the blast erupting into a crackling dissipation of light and sound.
Loki smiled as he heard mortals already shouting in the streets below. And so the chaos began. He watched Stark land on an upper platform of the tower bearing his name. Watched the man walk through a gauntlet of machinery which removed his armor.
A bold choice for someone who would soon face death.
Even from this distance, he could see the subtle fear in the mortal's eyes. Not a single one of them knew what they were up against. And he didn't mean the army waiting for a portal. He didn't mean the titan lurking in his ship. He, of course, referred to himself.
It was true the Chitauri would deal the most damage. It was true the titan held quite a bit of supremacy in the universe. He wouldn't deny these truths. But it was he who decided releasing the brunt of his army all at once. It was he who held the staff of control here.
In a normal situation, he would at least remove his helmet when peacefully meeting with a member of the opposing forces. In a normal situation, a full display of arms and armor in a diplomatic setting was seen as a faux pas. But this was not a normal situation.
This was war.
His smirk remained intact as he entered the penthouse, adorned in all of his golden armor. He was not here to broker peace. He was not here for prattling. He was here for vengeance. A brutally satisfying vengeance.
The stone within the tip of the scepter glowed.
Tony walked down a flight of steps behind the bar. His gaze lingered on the unwanted guest, yet he appeared confident with himself.
Loki's eyes shone with the mayhem he planned. "I honestly wouldn't bother appealing to my humanity."
"Is human what you call yourself? Firstly, you're not human; you're a monster. Secondly, I'm here to threaten you."
He chuckled to himself. This mortal amused him more than he cared to admit. "You should've left your armor on for that."
"Well, you know. Mileage. Not to mention you got that blue stick of destiny thing. Want a drink?"
"Stalling me won't change my plans."
Tony grabbed a glass and poured a shot. "Stalling? No, I'm not stalling. I'm threatening. Are you sure you don't want a drink?"
"What do I have to fear from you?"
"The Avengers. It's what we call ourselves. We're sort of like a team." He smiled behind the glass. "Earth's Mightiest Heroes type of thing. You know?"
Loki gave an acknowledging nod. He would bite at this man's banter because he enjoyed it. It was almost as if he practiced sarcastic remarks in a mirror. "Yes, I met them. In fact, I'm the one responsible for your assembling. But I will also be responsible for its destruction."
Tony's head tilted as his lips pursed. Counted off on his fingers. "Let's see. We're a demi-god, a super soldier, a living legend who kinda lives up to the legend, a man with amazing anger management issues, a couple master assassins. You're going to destroy them? You managed to piss off every single one of them."
"That was the original plan."
"Great plan, I must say. When they come, and they will come, by the way, they will be coming for you."
"I have an army."
"We have a hulk."
Loki's gaze flickered to Stark's hands. No doubt the bracelets he tried discreetly clamping on was for more armor. He would allow it. When he defeated them, he wanted to defeat them at their best. It was the only way they would learn of his true power. He paced a short line. Anything to make Stark more wary of him. "Speaking of your beast, where is he? He's proven prey to the scepter before. I think I'd like to see just how far he'll go."
Tony blinked and crossed his arms. "You're missing the point here. There's no outcome of this where you win. There's no throne for you. Let's say your army comes. Let's say they're too much for us. But it's all on you. Because, if we can't protect the earth, we'll sure as hell avenge it."
He lowered his eyes to the gem within his weapon. Allowed a short laugh. His gaze lifted. "When I'm done, there won't be anything left for you to avenge. You see, I've already claimed this Realm for revenge. And vengeance will be mine."
His arms dropped. A moment of confusion glimmered in his expression. "What?"
In one fluid motion, he crossed the room and seized the mortal by the throat. Tossed him across the penthouse.
Tony tumbled to a stop. Looked up. "I kinda liked that. Squeeze harder next time, won't you?"
Loki grinned as he lifted Stark by his throat again. "In another world, we could be great allies. Sadly, you drew the short stick in this one. This is the reality where I win and the entire Realm falls before me." Exerting little effort, he threw the mortal out the window.
A ding sounded behind him.
Glancing over his shoulder, he sidestepped. Knowing the red pod flying past him held a suit. How close would Stark get to the ground before the armor caught up to him? He returned outside and looked down.
The pod transformed and latched on to its creator.
Tony redirected his path with a quick pulse of his thrusters and hovered in front of his still-unwanted guest. "And there's another person you pissed off. His name was Phil." He fired a singular blast from both of his hands.
Loki remained motionless. A field of green magic deflected the energy. His brows rose. Pleased with Stark's frozen position. "The army is the least of your concerns, believe me."
Selvig released an exuberant exclamation.
A beam of blue energy burst into the sky with the violence of the Bifrost. It swirled into a vortex. The vortex lurched and tore through the atmosphere, opening a portal. A portal nearly a mile wide.
"Yes!" Selvig shouted, falling to his knees and raising hands upward. "Yes. I can see the universe."
Flying chariots piloted by armed Chitauri spilled out. By the hundreds of thousands, they darkened the sky with the ever-growing swarm. The relatively still air filled with war cries mixed with screams of the humans on the ground.
Tony immediately engaged the invasion.
Loki's eyes widened with delight. A large grin spreading across his face. He surveyed the beginning destruction, grip tightening on the scepter. The Midgardians would learn not to mess with the one he held most dear. They would learn, indeed.
"Brother!"
He turned in time to see Thor landing on the balcony to his right.
The god of thunder thrust Mjolnir toward the machine. "Loki, shut off the tesseract, or I will be forced to destroy it."
"You can't destroy it, can't stop it. It's self-sustaining. This war is the only way."
"As you say: so be it." With a curled lip, Thor rushed forward. Swung his hammer.
Loki met the weapon with his own.
The resulting clang melted into a cacophony of background explosions. The Quinn jet entered the city.
Thor pulled back. Struck again.
Loki dodged. Held the scepter behind his back, continuously sliding out of the way of furious blows. It was good to know Thor's fighting style hadn't changed—swing wildly and angrily enough until the hammer makes contact with something.
He smirked at the blonde's growing frustration. Evaded a few more strikes. However, this only wasted precious time. As he curled around Thor, he placed a hand on his back. Discharged a ball of offensive magic.
Thor flew onto his face.
Loki slightly frowned. Pivoting, he walked toward the tesseract and CMS device. Reacting at the last second. Whirled around and blocked Mjolnir with the scepter once more. He pushed on the caught weapons. "Do not force me to eliminate you because I will not hesitate."
Asgard's favored prince planted a foot on the balcony and shoved back. Then his temper suddenly ceased. He searched his little brother. "Loki…your eyes. Why are they a different color? Is this some form of trickery?"
His expression hardened. How dare Thor claim his scheme artificial. "This is no trick, no mischief. I am done with simple tricks. This is war."
A chain reaction of discharges blew the glass out of all the buildings within a several block radius. The blood thirsty Chitauri never stopped screaming. Neither did the panicking humans.
"Why, brother? Why must there be war? Does the scepter make you do this?"
Loki kept their weapons locked. Made Thor step back with each sentence. "There is no puppeteer here. I am the master of my own actions. I don't do this for anyone other than her."
Thor released, straightening. "Her? Mother?"
"How stupid are you?" Materializing his dagger in his free hand, he shoved it through a weak point in Thor's armor. Pressing it in further and embedding a boot in his chest. Sent him to the ground. Holding the dagger in place. He dropped next to his ear. "I'm doing this for what they did to the only one I've ever loved."
He grunted, but he remained on the balcony. Focused on Loki after removing his vision from the hordes still entering through the portal. "I did not know you loved someone."
A guttural, primal roar shook the weakened city. An even darker shadow loomed over the mayhem. Tens of Chitauri leviathan flew out from the portal. Heads bobbing for momentum, they fanned out in various directions. Most of them routing beyond the limits of New York.
Loki's head lifted. An ever-broadening smile on his face, and his gaze drunk with the lust for mortal death.
Thor grabbed him by his ebony hair. Forced him to see the flaming city and the failing Avengers. "Brother, look at this. Do you think this madness will end with your rule?"
He viewed Thor through the corners of his eyes. "You really are an idiot. This isn't about ruling. This is about annihilation. This is about their payment for torturing Aura."
The thunder god released him, understanding settling over him. "Aura is the one you love."
"Yes. And I will not stop until every last one of them has paid with their life."
"Why did you not tell me about her?"
Loki paused at the pain in Thor's face. It wasn't pain from his dagger. Thor could take a dagger to the side without problem. The other was genuinely upset he kept Aura from him. "I…" His silver tongue failed him. With a deep breath, he removed his smaller weapon from flesh.
Thor rose to his knees and placed a hand on Loki's back. "Please tell me what happened to her. She is clearly special to you, so she is special to me, as well."
His head snapped right to see multiple skyscrapers crumbling as the leviathans flew through them without heed. He glanced back at Thor, who seemed to be ignoring the onslaught, completely focused on him. "Odin banished her here when he found out we loved one another. She was a mere servant girl. Which is why I didn't tell you."
The older prince's brow's furrowed. "I have no quarrel with the servants."
"Maybe not, but I assumed you'd…disapprove. Or tell Odin. I don't know what's happened to her in this Realm, but when I found her on the helicarrier, she was chained in a room, alone and frozen. Thor, she thinks I'm a hallucination. Her eyes are hollow, and she screams at me to leave. I don't know what they've done to her."
"The helicarrier? You mean the one S.H.I.E.L.D. uses?"
Loki's eyes narrowed, and he hissed, "yes."
"What reason do they have for imprisoning her?"
"I don't know. But she kept saying she already told me everything I demanded to know. I assume they tortured her for information. The mortals are barbaric. They probably used her for their science."
Thor studied him. "And this is not a lie?"
"How do I benefit from making up a story about a love interest that your precious S.H.I.E.L.D. held hostage and mentally damaged?"
He rose and offered out a hand. "They are not precious to me. I knew I could not trust them when they stole Jane's equipment and desired my hammer. You will not face this injustice alone. Tell me how I can assist you, brother. This is your battle before it is mine, and I will follow your commands."
Loki looked up. This was new. But he clasped his brother's hand and allowed him to help him to his feet. "I won't ask you to turn on all the Midgardians. Your values are much more righteous than mine. But there is something you can do."
"Anything."
"Bring me that helicarrier."
"Consider it done." With a smile, Thor spun Mjolnir at his side and launched off the tower's balcony.
Loki's head tilted as he watched Thor fly off. The encounter surprisingly took him off guard. Something he honestly wasn't upset with. Thor's sentiments made him a loyal ally. Perhaps he should've told him of Aura sooner.
It was true he anticipated his brother's judgement of her. While Thor used to flirt with all women, servants included, he also had a habit of treating them in ways similar to Odin. But he couldn't blame Thor entirely; he was a product of his environment.
If he continued being honest with himself, he was relieved Thor was on his side. There would have been no hesitation in killing him if need be, and he knew it was an action he would've regretted if sawn to completion. And he missed the old days of fighting alongside him. Of fighting back to back with him.
Missed the days when they were just brothers.
The collapse of another building snagged his attention.
Ah, yes. The present bedlam.
He surveyed the blazing city shrouded with debris smoke. Rolled his neck as a delightful sensation trickled down his spine. Despite his elatedness over the power and control he felt, this was for her. It was all for her.
His gaze followed the tesseract's beam.
Another handful of Chitauri leviathan coasted through the portal. These didn't pay this city any mind. They moved on for other prey. A fleet of military fighters joined the fray.
Loki closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath. Soot, ash, and iron filling his nostrils. Incessant screams of horror and fatalities filling his ears. When this was done, there would be a throne for him. He would place it right on top of Stark Tower out of spite. Of course, there would be a matching throne for Aura, if she wanted one.
She would be his equal in all things. She would have just as much input as he. Even though she was currently the motivation for his unbridled wrath, she was also his center. She was his humanity. She kept him sane and on the good side of the fine line he traversed.
Assuming he could somehow help her believe the truth of this reality.
His eyes slowly opened. He couldn't let the Chitauri have all the fun, could he? Didn't he tell Stark the army was the least of the Avengers' concerns? He would be this Realm's reckoning.
Striding to the edge of the balcony, he dropped onto one of the many darting flying chariots. Skewered the soldier with the scepter and dragged it off. It was time for him to get his hands dirty. It was time for him to enact the second phase of his plan.
He would find the beast, use the scepter to control it, and unleash it upon the world, as well. Which wasn't hard since the "Avengers" hadn't made it very far from the blocks surrounding the tower. They were clearly overwhelmed.
No. Overwhelmed was an understatement.
Loki held out an arm. A swirl of magic spiraled down his arm and expelled from his fingertips, the area's smoke dissipating. His frost giant form appeared. Jumping off the flying chariot, he landed with his hand on the cracked asphalt, ice leaving his palm.
Thick ice snaked along the street. Found the paths of least resistance as it shot up in great spikes. Impaling those who had yet to evacuate.
A spray of bullets glanced off the Jotun.
Loki's eyes rolled. Slinging his arm, ice daggers found the heads of the annoyances. He strolled through the trail he blazed for himself. Scoffing at the mortals bleeding out on the spikes.
Then he spotted his targets.
The barely assembled team of heroes fought off what little Chitauri they could handle. They noticed him, as well.
Barton released an arrow.
Loki caught it at the side of his head. Rose his brow at the mortal perched on top of a collapsed building. Shot him off with a discharge from the scepter.
Romanoff charged him with duel batons.
He left an illusion, teleporting to his pocket dimension. Emerged behind her. Shattered one of her knees.
She went down but grabbed a Chitauri rifle. Fired.
A green barrier absorbed the blast as he walked away from her. He flicked his wrist, sending ice shards to pin her to the ground.
Rogers approached next, readying his shield in front of him. Glancing at the impaled innocents. "So you're blue now?"
Loki smiled. "Has it been fun, learning of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s dirty secrets?" He gave a pause. "Your lack of answer says yes. Wait until you learn how they treat those they keep for experimentation."
"I think you have S.H.I.E.L.D. confused with Hydra. S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't experiment on people."
"I know you're out of your time, but how are you still this naïve?"
Rogers pushed off the ground. Spinning his body in the air, he brought down his shield.
Loki caught it before it came down on his head. Grinned at the mortal's surprise. "I really think the frozen look suits you, Captain." Ice spread from his fingers. Crawled over America's golden hero until he was completely encased.
He released stationary mortal and moved on. His normal form reemerging. He randomly blasted Midgardians catching his eye. In all reality, they were responsible for their own deaths since they were too foolish to retreat. Why were there so many of them? Why did such an inferior race breed so much?
Stark flew overhead. Temporarily disengaged from the countless Chitauri. Rapidly shot from both hand repulsors.
Loki walked through the line of fire without taking any damage. He waved away the smoke of the disturbed ash on the ground. "Where are your Avengers now?"
Tony landed several feet in front of him. Pulled back his helmet. Sweat and exhaustion clear to see. "What's your deal? Do you need to get laid? I don't understand what you gain here."
"Justice. Satisfaction. You see, I'm the one truly pissed off."
"Yeah, kinda getting that." He spread his arms. "What did we do to you?"
"You don't want me to answer that."
One of the military jets crashed nearby, a plume of fire and smoke rising.
Tony rubbed his face with his hands. "Alright. You win. Just…call off your army and return to wherever it is you come from."
Loki stared at him. "It's not that simple."
"Why not? New York is destroyed with the exception of my tower. Thanks, but I can't accept it. What do you want? For me to tell you you're right? Do you want me to sing praises to your name? What do you desire from this?"
"I've already told you."
"I can't let you destroy the human race."
"You can't defeat me, either."
Tony sighed. "I knew you were crazy, but I didn't understand you were this much of a raging lunatic. I thought this was an ego trip. Clearly, I was wrong. I've been known to be wrong before. Are you sure there's no way for me to convince you to stop this?"
"Positive."
"Fine. You know what. I quit. I give in. Take me as your prisoner. Kill me. I don't care."
Loki inwardly grinned. He approached the mortal. Stood directly in front of him. "What is it that you prefer?"
"This." Stark grabbed the scepter and fired a repulsor.
He ducked away from the blast. Wove under the scepter and moved behind the mortal, twisting his arm behind his back. Dislodged his weapon from Stark's grasp. "While I commend your efforts, you can't trick a trickster."
Tony grimaced. "Worth a shot."
Materializing his dagger once more, he plunged it into the arc reactor. Pushed the mortal to the ground. "I do like you, Stark. I somewhat hope you survive." He stepped over him and searched the area.
Neither Bruce Banner nor the Hulk was here.
Loki commandeered another flying chariot. Shortly spotted a motorcycle cruising across a bridge. His glee heightened. He dismounted his ride and landed in Banner's path. Lazily waved a hand.
Bruce crashed into a green field of magic and tumbled off the bike. Quickly recovered, rolling to his back.
He deliberately strode forward. An unsettling smile across his face.
The scientist visibly swallowed. Crab-walked back a few paces. Glanced around at what used to be a city. "So this all seems, uh, horrible."
"It could be worse."
A line of Chitauri soldiers zoomed by overhead, searching for more targets. The thick ash hanging in the air swirled.
"I fail to see how this could be worse." Bruce pulled his stare from a pile of stained bodies. "What of the Avengers?"
Loki cocked a brow as he stopped at Banner's feet. "I honestly don't care which ones are dead and which ones remain alive." He grabbed the man's shirt and hoisted him to his feet. Brushed dust off his shoulders. "Should they be living, they're fighting you next."
His eyes widened, and he turned to run.
He caught the mortal's throat. Faced him. Placing the scepter on his chest, he straightened with anticipation.
Bruce stood rigidly. His eyes churned black.
Loki grinned and stepped back. "Now. Bring forth the beast."
The scientist yelled as he fought the Hulk even in his controlled state of mind. However, it didn't take long for his skin to tint green and for his form to stretch and enlarge. Within seconds, the Hulk emerged. He faced every sound he heard, roaring battle cries.
He adjusted his grip on the spear. Paced a short line. He wasn't entirely sure if the monster could be controlled by the scepter, but he had quite a bit of faith it would work. He observed the dull creature blindly growling at everything.
"Hulk," he commanded.
The large being slowly faced him. His eyes a bright blue. He waited for his next order.
Exhaling a short laugh, Loki lowered his head. "Destroy."
The Hulk unleashed another roar. Launched himself off the bridge.
An S.H.I.E.L.D. jet passed lower than what the military jets had been typically flying. Headed toward the last tower standing.
His eyes narrowed. He had come too far to be defeated now. Taking a step, he teleported to the tesseract. Waited patiently for the aircraft's arrival. To his surprise, it landed on the upper platform Stark used to de-arm himself. His gaze trained on the lowering ramp.
Thor marched out Nick Fury. "The helicarrier had already been destroyed, so I brought Fury instead. I did not think you would be upset with his capture."
He gripped the scepter hard enough for his knuckles to turn white. His jaw clenching and unclenching.
Fury appeared unfazed. He stood face to face with Loki. "I see you turned Thor against us."
Thor walked around the director and stood next to his brother. "You turned me against you. First, you stole Jane's work. Then you wanted to use the tesseract to make weapons. And you held an innocent girl as a prisoner for interrogation. How is siding with you better?"
Loki rose a brow. His brother made sense.
Fury met the younger prince's gaze. "I think you made your point."
He shifted his weight. "Oh, I don't think I have. How long did you think you could keep Aura away from me? And did you really think I wouldn't take action because of it?"
"So you did find her?"
"I found her, alright." Loki stepped closer, his voice rising. "I found her, but her mind is lost. What did you do to her?"
Fury showed no emotion. "Actually, nothing. Other than arguing with her that she didn't need to be put in the cold cell. Did she inform you that was her decision and hers alone?"
He snatched the director by the neck and flung him across the balcony. "Liar!"
Nick rolled and rose to a kneeling position. Fired the weapon prototype Coulson once used.
Loki's magic misdirected the blast with the flick of a wrist. "Did you really think that would work on me?"
"My security recordings show it worked the first time."
"Your recordings showed one of my duplicates."
Fury slowly rose. "How can a duplicate kill my best agent?"
"Oh, there is so much to magic you can't even begin to comprehend. With the right knowledge, I can do anything with my abilities. All of your recordings show nothing but duplicates."
"Then where were you the whole time?"
"I already knew from Barton the helicarrier redirected a substantial amount of power to a lower level only you had access to. Of course I was curious to see what you were hiding. I just had to wait for you to exit it. When I teleported in, I found my Aura. Keeping her at all was your first mistake."
"So what's your plan? You already decimated New York. Canada and Europe have been invaded. World leaders are at a stalemate because the U.S. wanted to nuke this city." The director turned to Thor. "And you don't have a problem with this?"
The thunder god placed a hand on Loki's shoulder. "He has quite a bit of frustration to work out. Midgard is nothing more than a tiny Realm. Planets rise and fall every day. The universe lives on. I have been the destruction of a few planets, myself."
Loki snapped his fingers. Pleased with his brother's support.
Fluid green restraints bound around Fury.
He approached him. "I won't kill you. Not because I want you to witness Midgard's destruction. No, I want you alive so I can torture you the same way you tortured Aura."
Nick's brows rose. "Good luck. I'm Earth's greatest spy, and I'm not easily broken."
A coy grin played with the chaos god's mouth. "You're not the first spy I've captured, and you won't be the first spy I've broken."
Before he could continue, a Chitauri leviathan bellowed as a stream of fire engulfed its face.
Loki's head whipped toward the flames illuminating the cement-colored haze. "Aura," he breathed.
Thor twirled Mjolnir. "Shall I fetch her?"
He walked to the end of the balcony. Eyes scouring the carnage below. His breathing quickened as his mind ran through scenarios of what could happen to her.
Fury spoke up. "Speaking of Aura, do you think this is what she would want from you? She's an innocent soul who beats herself up for killing the bad guys. Do you think she would approve of this?"
His gaze flickered over the rubble, desperately trying to spot his beloved.
"Hey, I'm talking to you. Do you think this is what Aura would want from you to 'prove' your love for her? Because this isn't love. Love for domination, maybe, but not for her."
"Silence!" With another snap, he made a gag appear over the mortal's mouth. He rolled his neck and blinked a few times. Paced a short line. Suddenly straightened. "Prove…" He faced his brother. He hated what he was about to say, for he wanted to go to her now. "This might prove to her I'm not an illusion, that this reality isn't an illusion. Nothing in her pure mind could fabricate something like this."
Thor stood next to him once more. "If you are correct, then she should join us soon."
Loki gestured with the scepter. "She's joining us now."
A very battered Iron Man flew toward them, a pale-skinned Aura in his arms.