Helloo! I am not dead and I hope y'all had wonderful holidays. Sorry for the longer absence but the puppy has been keeping me extremely busy and some other life-shifts that have messed with my writing time, also this chapter and I were not agreeing on how it wanted to be written so many rewrites had to occur. At least it's a long chapter to make up for my absence? Hope you enjoy!

Shout Outs!:

NightWarriorQ17

Thanks :) I glad that you enjoy it so much.
You will have to see ;)

Reader2

Ch: 34
Maybe, maybe not, only the Ancient One knows...And me ;)
Ch: 37
It's quite possible but I honestly haven't thought about it all that much and it was never really a major plot point for me to think about but I'm sure some of them have.

WeAreNumberOne

Ye-up. Sorry-not-sorry?
The Stones were always seemed weird about that to me. There were several instances where the Space Stone was touched no problem and others where it had, nasty side effects, and same with the others Stones. So this is my explanation, they're semi-sentient/conscious and decide if they 'like' their current handler.
It's a common ground for them, something I thought they needed, also to lovely results. And, I mean, I get the other stories but I just don't see it being in every storyline and especially not one where they have a common ground or person that they would both fight and/or die for.
Possibly. Oh yeah, Jör's ticked.

Jhousa

Yay! Thanks :) Ha, it's gonna be a ride, that's for sure.

omega13a

Yeah, sorry about that. I'm gonna admit it, I haven't seen Agents of SHIELD or Peggy Carter, seen bits and pieces-looks interesting just haven't watched yet. Looked that up though and, yikes, that thing was bad news.
So Thor doesn't actually speak English, he is using All-Speak for everything he says and hears. So when we say Hakon Hyse that what it sounds like to us but to him he's head Chosen Haddock because that's what it means in ancient Norse which he does know. He knew Hakon was most liekly a descendant of Hiccup when the mentioned Hyse or 'Haddock' and he wasn't entirely sure if Hakon meant Chosen, as in Hiccup-Loki's Chosen, or it was a name; like how Hope is a name and a word in English.

CHSHiccstrid

I'm getting that a lot but I guess it's deserved. I like doing that, don't I? Well, you've had time to think it out, here's the aftermath. Haha...oh yeah. Thanks, there are some bits that I just don't want to change but I want their reasonings to be different-Thor was largely like that. Thanks, hope this chapter lives up :)

Journal 2, Entry 38: "The Avengers Pt.4"

Phil could only stare in shock until reality came upon him with a jolt. Thor still stood in the cage, mouth hanging open but eyes narrowed. Neither man moved until an agonized howl broke their trance.

Torbjörg paced around the grating where Loki and Hiccup sat only a moment prior, sniffing and snarling at the ground and air before howling again and flopping down.

Phil dropped the prototype gun and ran over to the despondent familiar. "Tor!"

Thor looked away from the dog to Phil. "Yes?"

Phil's brows scrunched for only a moment and looked away from the listless mutt to the god, shaking his head. "No, not you. Him."

Tor whined from his place on the floor and shifted his head to press his nose against Phil's knee.

Thor shifted, staring at Tor. "Ah…Was-was that—Hiccup?"

Phil looked away to Torbjörg. "You saw the same thing I did."

Thor let out a heavy breath and leaned against the glass. Hiccup was alive? How was he alive?! Did he ever actually die? Thor cringed at the thought. No, Loki's grief had been real…so, how? He shuddered to think of what it meant, the dark magics he must have trifled with. And what of Hela? Was she involved? He shuddered at the endless thoughts, all leading to worse and worse possibilities.

The door hissed open and Fury ran in, quickly taking in the situation then striding over to the cell controls with a scowl. He slammed a fist against them, opening the cell, his eye staring hard at Thor. "What happened? Why were you locked up instead of Loki? And why is Hyse's mutt here?!"

Thor tried to explain but words failed him as he still reeled from the revelations and implications.

Phil sighed and gave Tor one last pat before standing and giving a quick report to Fury of the short-lived skirmish.

Fury's head tilted down in disbelief before turning to Thor. "Did you know about this?"

Thor vehemently shook his head. "No! No, I-I thought—we all thought…he's dead. Father sent him to Valhalla…" He said softly.

Fury scowled and looked away from Thor to Phil. "Get the Initiates together. We need to figure out our next move."

Phil nodded and left quickly, heart fluttering at the thought of mentioning it to Tony. Maybe I'll leave that to Fury…

Tor started to follow him when Thor called out, eyeing him curiously. "T-Toothless?"

Tor paused, one paw held up and looked back at Thor before bounding to catch up to Phil.

Fury turned to Thor again. "Toothless?"

Thor continued to stare out the empty doorway that Tor had run through, breath catching. "He's Hiccup's dra-" he cut himself short with a worried look, "Hiccup's familiar."

Thor left before Fury could ask any more questions—which he was dying to do—but let it lie for now. Thor was too lost in thought to be properly questioned right now.

Tony, Steve, and Phil gathered at the conference table with Thor and Fury already waiting for them. Natasha wasn't around but Phil already explained her absence with Clint's return.

Tony looked wearily at Fury, being beaten around by props leaving him just about as worn as Steve who actually fought off intruders. Tony seized upon seeing the black mutt sitting near Thor, having been sent to wait for them by Phil. "Tor?" He looked up at Fury with a concerned gaze, his voice rising. "What happened? Was uncle H on that plane!?"

Phil winced but Fury shook his head. "Not quite. But since Agent Coulson was the one there, I believe he would like to give the report."

Tony turned to Phil, Steve joining him. Phil took a breath and glanced at Tony, paling a bit. "Loki—he escaped."

Tony and Steve grunted in annoyance but both were transfixed on Phil, eager to learn what happened to Hakon.

Phil continued, hands clenching. "When I came to stop him with a prototype weapon, Loki was tricking us. Hyse appeared and pushed me aside right before, before-" Phil looked down sorrowfully, "he-he took the stabbing meant for me."

Steve's eyes widened in horror while Tony tensed then nearly lept on Phil. "He what? How could he just appear? And Loki just stabbed him?!"

Phil winced, looking down at Tor who snorted and whined and started pacing a circle. "I don't believe it was intentional…He looked truly horrified when Hi-Hakon threw himself in front of the scepter."

Steve crossed his arms and anxiously looked from Phil to Thor. "But how did he get here? And I thought you said he wouldn't harm Hyse's descendants?" He looked at Thor and Tony now.

Torbjörg grunted and shook his furry head, grumbling as he paced, only stopping once he was by the window and could glare out at the clouds. After a long moment of scanning the clouds, he flopped over with a miserable moan and didn't move again except for the slight rise and fall of his chest.

Tony shook his head, disturbed by that as well, but Thor finally pushed away from the banister and answered. "He came by Tesseract." He said simply, still hardly believing the 'descendant' was Hiccup himself.

Fury turned to the Asgardian. "So he somehow broke out of Loki's control to save Coulson? Seems a little more than dubious."

Thor's previously blank look turned dark but said nothing as he scowled at the floor.

Hill approached the group, hair still somehow near perfect despite the butterfly bandage above her eye. "Sir, we've pulled the footage."

Fury nodded and gestured to the table where they all took a seat and watched the security tapes starting from the moment Thor ran in to stop his brother. Fury's good eye widened when Hakon flashed into existence then dropped the Tesseract like a hot potato to save Phil.

Everyone stared at the screen with various emotions when a flash enveloped him and Hyse was replaced by a man appearing younger than Steve.

Thor glared harder at the screen when Hakon reverted back and Steve gasped because there was his friend just as he looked when he crashed into the ocean. Tony silently swore up and down Yggdrasil even as Loki cried and whisked Hiccup away with the Tesseract in hand again. Tor howled mournfully from the floor, listening as the scene played out again.

Fury took a breath to contain his rising anger and utter confusion. What Hakon just did—what this meant. He hated not knowing or even having an inkling of things, and this!

Steve looked up, unsure of what to think, and saw Thor looking near murderous. "Thor?"

Thor released a shaky exhale as he shook with fury. "Loki has dabbled in magics too dark—even for, for his child." A shadow passed over his face. "He has conspired with Hela. This is an act of treason in the highest regard."

Tor huffed, almost sounding like a laugh as he flopped onto the ground again, still glaring at the table when the footage winked out.

Tony frowned, more worried about Thor now than Loki. "Woah, now, Point Break. Don't go making accusations you don't have even half of the facts too."

Thor's eye twitched. "Hiccup was dead! There is no other way he is still alive unless Loki has colluded with Hela and jeopardized Asgard."

Steve frowned. "Isn't it possible that Hakon just looks like this, Hiccup?"

Tony spoke at the same moment, arms crossed at Thor. "Didn't Hiccup die because of Hela?"

Fury leaned closer with interest while Thor shook his head at Steve.

"It is Hiccup. The fact that Toothless is here as well, guised as he may be-" Tony shot him a warning look and Thor glanced away from the moping mutt by the railing to Tony. "What more could I possibly need to know? Hiccup died but now he is very clearly alive. The dead are Hela's, Loki could not have retrieved him otherwise."

Tony rested an elbow on the table, clearly unimpressed. "Isn't it a part of your religion that Odin can grant people into Valhalla?"

Thor blinked then frowned at Tony. "You cannot possibly be suggesting that father conspired with Hela to bring him back!? He wouldn't do that for mother, let alone a mortal."

Tony rolled his eyes. "No, of course not." Can't possibly imagine him doing that from the stories I've heard. "I'm just saying, from what I've heard, Hiccup went to Valhalla not Niflheim or Helheim so Hela couldn't be involved."

An anger drained from Thor, leaving him oddly relieved.

Steve, only half following the conversation, chimed in. "You seem oddly unworried about Hakon, Tony."

A flash of hurt and concern passed over Tony but he simply shrugged, trying to act detached. "If uncle H is right, Loki would rather die himself than let uncle H die. Besides, Torbjörg isn't baying in pain—he's still alive."

Steve frowned. "What would that-"

Thor cut him off with a tired sigh, rubbing his eyes—this was giving him more of a headache than anything Loki had done. "He is Hiccup's familiar. To have the bond broken on either end is excruciating. I saw him naught a day after Hiccup's death, or supposed death, and…" He looked away, not wanting to revel in the carnage he and Loki wrought that day. "Word to the wise, never be the cause that severs that bond."

Tony hummed in agreement, remembering that and a few other stories that had been told of other broken bonds—dragons were particularly vicious when exacting revenge. Steve looked mildly horrified and glanced at Tor with worry, not for himself but for what the dog must be feeling, having also seen the carnage he could wreak when incensed.

Fury growled quietly, everything was falling apart in front of him. "Look, this conversation—while fascinating—is pointless right now. Loki still has the cube, we're dead in the air along with our communications, Banner, and Hyse, until proven otherwise. I've got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye, but maybe I had that one coming."

He blinked away his reveling to look at Steve then Tony. "Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number, though, because I was banking on something even riskier. There was an idea, Stark knows this, called the Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people—see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them too, to fight the battles that we never could."

He looked firmly at Tony then Steve. "Hyse knew about it as well. He liked to joke about it and say that Stark was the best we were going to get unless we could fish Rogers out of the sea. But he never denied the idea, never said it couldn't work. And now it may be his only hope."

Steve grimaced and Tony fought down his surging emotions at the reminder.

Fury sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Well…it's an old fashioned idea."

Thor listened with interest. "It is a noble plan, Director Fury."

Tony stood with a huff and stalked off, Tor instantly at his heels.

Steve looked up, not liking the expression on Tony's face. "Where are you going?"

"To find the Tesseract!" Tony shouted back. "With uncle H injured, Loki's likely to be sloppy with shielding the Tesseract. It's our only shot at finding it again."

Nuffink shivered as the Modified Ygg-Hop spat him out in Antarctica. The misty tendrils slid off him, leaving a familiar tingle in his magic—reminiscent of the other times he'd come near the Tesseract. He pushed those thoughts away and pocketed the device, checking it then smiling when it still showed a full charge.

He walked a few feet further out onto the cliff and sighed when he felt Yggdrasil again, he hadn't realized how disconcerting it was to be cut off from it. He stretched out his magic and tapped into the ancient tree before walking along its branch. The Ygg-Hop in his pocket brushed against his magic, feeling decidedly unpleased which caused him to frown. They've never done anything like that before.

He elected to ignore it as he entered Jötunheim, his corresponding magic humming happily at being home. He shifted forms instinctually and breathed in the bitter cold, relaxing marginally in its clawing embrace. He teleported to just outside the new castle and only had to walk a little ways before Býleistr was walking out to greet him.

"Nuffink, it has been some time since you came to visit—but your face says this is more than a mere get together."

Nuffink winced then sighed. "Unfortunately not. Loki…came back-"

Býleistr beamed and grunted in relief. "That is good news. With Hiccup's reports of their bond-"

Nuffink shook his head grimly. "Not really. He's being mind-controlled and intends to lead an army against Midgard."

Býleistr stared at him aghast. "Loki? But who could possibly-? Loki is far too strong to fall prey to most sorcerers and even I must admit very few are stronger in the mental arts than he."

Nuffink looked down with a pained expression. Býleistr frowned and gripped his tiny shoulder, leading him back into the new city. "Come, you can explain further to my brother and the war council."

It was a long couple hours of explanations and them picking his brain for anything he knew, down to the inane. Helblindi finally leaned over, head resting on a fist. "This is greatly troubling."

A Jötunnar looked from Nuffink to Helblindi, both deeply worried and confused. "Who could have done this? I am no propagator of affection towards Asgard but who would dare to intrude on their territories?"

Helblindi frowned and shared a glance with Býleistr who took a breath before speaking. "There is one we know of. How exactly he managed to find a Stone, let alone that of the mind, is deeply concerning, but he is the only one who would have the gall and audacity to use it on a son of Asgard."

Nuffink started to ask when Helblindi answered for all, "Thanos."

The other full blooded Jötunns either growled or hissed at his name while Nuffink wracked his memory for why the name sounded vaguely familiar.

Helblindi stood, staring down at the Midgardian Jötunn. "We will help you and do everything we can to free our brother. We will meet you at the branch on Midgard in three hours."

Nuffink bowed his head, a bit of relief washing through him. "Thank you."

Helblindi nodded. "We are your allies and I do wish to start my reign off on a better note than that of my father's. Tell me, do we have allies on Midgard besides your people?"

Nuffink's face pinched. "I…am not sure. Father mentioned some people, a group SHIELD was putting together; however, with Loki causing such havoc—I am not sure how much we can rely upon them. I am sure that if things start getting terribly out of hand the Ancient One and her sorcerers will come to help, but they have taken oaths to not interfere immediately. I am unsure about Wakanda's situation but I would not expect immediate help from them either."

Helblindi hummed. "I see. We have a great battle to prepare for then."

Hiccup felt something soft and something hard underneath him when consciousness returned again. It took him another moment to realize that the softness was someone's legs and the hardness was from the ground. He groaned as he fought off the lingering tendrils of sleep trying to call him back.

He opened his eyes to Loki still bent over him and suddenly smiling in relief, pulling him up to give him a hug. "Liten Listig," He murmured, face in Hiccup's neck and hair, "don't you ever do something like that again!"

Hiccup blinked and gripped his patron's hand as he recalled what happened leading up to him. His eyes widened and shoved away from Loki, furious. "You were going to stab Folke!"

Loki's brows pinched as he shook his head, still gripping Hiccup's arms tightly. "No, I would never hurt one of their descendants as I would never touch one of yours. It was a ploy, an illusion at the last moment. I never intended to harm him—merely look as though I had."

"It sure felt real." Hiccup hissed and pushed further away from Loki to stand, needing a moment to clear his head but wasn't quite free from the magic that Loki had cast over him from the 'attack'.

"It was meant to. I didn't exactly have time to convince Folke to play along." Loki defended himself as he let Hiccup stand and soon followed before demanding, "How did you attain the Tesseract?"

Hiccup scowled at him. "Wasn't that hard."

Loki's eyes narrowed. "Liten Listig, what did you do?"

Hiccup looked around the dark room, unable to place where they were. "Where's Toothless?"

Loki shook his head and jabbed a finger at his Chosen's chest. "Oh no, you are not redirecting this, not this time. What did you do?"

Hiccup scowled at him. "Apparently not much since I had to use the Tesseract to find you to save Folke!"

"Again, I wasn't—that's beside the point." He tightened his grip on the scepter as it pulsed. "Did you sabotage the portal device?"

Hiccup shrugged frustratedly. "No, I didn't exactly have time from throwing the flash bomb to snagging the Tesseract in transport."

"Then?" Loki's eyes honed in on Hiccup as he stubbornly refused to answer. "Do not force me to take drastic measures."

Hiccup huffed and crossed his arms. "Or what? You'll take me to Hela?"

Loki said nothing to that and looked down at the glowing gem of the scepter, frowning. "What did you do to Selvig?"

Hiccup now frowned from confusion. "Nothing. Look, all I did was make a flash-bomb then snag the Tesseract to get home—where I learned that you locked them in! I didn't even know that was possible. I think Toothless might've bowled him over at some point but the entire trailer was in chaos by then. Now, what happened to Toothless? Where is he?"

Loki sighed and ran an irritated hand through his mussed hair. "You were never supposed to know, it was for dire emergencies. And Toothless is fine, I'm sure. Tony wouldn't let harm come to him"

"He's still back at SHIELD!?" Hiccup nearly shrieked.

Loki glared at Hiccup. "You didn't give me much choice with your idiotic heroics."

"I wouldn't need them if you weren't acting like a mind-controlled moron!" Hiccup snapped, running a hand through his hair as he tried to figure out the situation again.

Loki's nose wrinkled and walked up to Hiccup, grabbing his arm and flicking him hard in the forehead—eliciting a yelp. "I am a mind-controlled moron, Liten Listig, unlike you. What were you thinking, throwing yourself in the way like that? You could have just used a shield."

Hiccup crossed his arms with a glare. "Pardon me if seeing my father stabbing the descendent of my brother is a little shocking. I was hoping I could distract you—I didn't think you were going to strike so fast…given how theatrical you've been making this entire mess."

Loki took a breath and held Hiccup's arms tightly. "I am doing what I can to keep the bloodshed at a minimum. Thus if your people become involved, it will only increase it tenfold."

Hiccup crossed his arms with a matching expression. "Then I take it, you invading Midgard for some reason you refuse to explain, warrants you to take martial law into your own hands?"

"Yes." Loki said plainly. "So, you were unable to break my lock?"

Hiccup looked up and his arms fell. "I almost had it."

Loki nodded firmly. "Good."

Hiccup jerked in surprise when Loki snatched his arm. "Wha-?"

"I have a mission to accomplish."

Hiccup ripped his arm away. "No! Not until you give me some answers! I'm through, Loki. I saw the army and I felt your pain for two years! Why won't you let me help, or the Archipelago?" He said desperately.

Loki stared pained at his Chosen. "Liten Listig, I-I cannot lose you again and if I fail, I will. I will lose everything, and not just you. Please, this is not easy for me either but it is the better way."

"For who?" Hiccup asked, staying out of Loki's range. "You've done nothing but pit everyone against you. If all of Midgard bands together we can fight against whoever it is that tortured and controls you."

Loki shook his head sadly. "No, Hiccup. I have seen many worlds, watched as many were made examples of—just for me…So many were far more advanced than Midgard is. This is the only way."

Hiccup's hands fisted and he started to refute the idea again when Loki shot forward, deciding to end the unending argument. Hiccup reacted on instinct and threw up a shield while shoving Loki back with a weak blast.

Loki growled and flung out a wave of his own magic, keeping a tight lid on the scepter despite it practically yelling to be used and overwhelm Hiccup. Hiccup dove, barely missing the blast and threw Loki's dagger. Loki used the scepter to block the blade then swung it around to block the obsidian blade of Hela's knife that Hiccup had extended to a sword.

Hiccup recalled and threw the dagger again at Loki's chest before flinging out his hand, ice flying from his fingers. Loki shielded himself from the dagger but a shard caught the shaft end of the scepter and ice grew rapidly from the points of contact. He glared at Hiccup and sent out a large wave of similar ice at his Chosen.

Hiccup's eyes widened and created a shield—the ice forming around the shield. He teleported behind Loki only for him to whip around and sweep at his bad leg. Hiccup stumbled a step but fell into a roll, launching for the scepter. Loki ripped it out of grabbing range and threw a glowing rope at his Chosen. Hiccup scrambled away and intercepted it with Hela's blade, preparing to swing again at Loki when his magic blared a warning and he twisted away, evading a blast from Loki who suddenly appeared behind him.

The scepter pulsed in irritation. Loki was unable to fully fight it off and an excruciating wave passed over their bond. Hiccup cried out in shocked pain and staggered a step, allowing Loki to reach him and snag his wrists. Hiccup yelled in anger as Loki bound him, landing a kick in the knee. Loki yelped and fell to the floor, scepter momentarily clattering to the ground.

Hiccup dove for the stick and his bound hands closed around the shaft, grimacing as its magic reached out for his mind, feeling like a slimy eel. He slammed down his shields and wrapped his magic around him to teleport when Loki pounced on him. They awkwardly crashed into the wall—made even worse by the half attempted teleportation.

Hiccup wheezed as Loki fell on him and held him close, tightly and firmly as he waited for the scepter's enraged fingers choking his mind to recede so he wouldn't do what it, what he wanted him to do sheerly out of spite and to prove who was in control.

Hiccup relaxed after a full minute of trying to break free unsuccessfully but was still tense. "Loki, please, I don't want this. I don't want you to be the villain of Midgard."

Loki briefly tightened his hold and sent comfort through the bond. "I know, I know." he sounded exhausted. "But there is no other way."

Hiccup nearly sagged in his arms. "Can't you fake your death or something? Something, anything?" He pleaded.

Loki shook his head, ruffling Hiccup's hair with his nose. "He'd know. I'm still connected to him through the scepter."

Hiccup's brows pinched, trying to stifle his despair. "Can't you break it?"

Loki huffed a dry laugh and sat up with a wince as Hiccup grunted in pain, pulling the scepter from his Chosen's weakened grasp. "If there is a way, I do not know it. It is all I can do to bend some orders."

Hiccup shook his head, smacking Loki but he still did not pull away.

Loki sighed and released Hiccup but still kept a grip on his arm. "Come."

The rope around his wrists disappeared and Hiccup reluctantly trailed after as they exited the room. Hiccup blinked as harsh light greeted him before he could see the large room with the truck he'd ridden in briefly—the portal device unloaded and a few scientists surrounding it, Selvig oddly absent.

Hiccup planted at the doorway, making Loki turn to look at him curiously as he reached for his magic to shift into Hakon. Loki gestured for him to stop. "There is no need for that. You dropped the charade when I 'stabbed' you on the Helicarrier."

"What?!" Hiccup's eyes widened, pulling in Loki's grasp as he stepped back. "I—why didn't you stop it-?"

"I was in too much shock that you were one: there and two: threw yourself into-" Loki hissed.

Hiccup's face turned ashen. "Oh gods, SHIELD knows now…They all know."

Loki took a calming breath and moved his hand from his Chosen's arm to shoulder. "It is not ideal, but you will not have to worry about them harming you or your people—I will not allow it."

Hiccup leveled his patron with a flat look but held his tongue.

Loki stopped a few feet from the device, arm still around Hiccup. "Is it still functional?"

The woman nodded. "Yes, but without the Tesseract-"

Loki flicked his hand around, calling the Tesseract out of his magical pocket.

Hiccup's eyes were immediately drawn to it as it pulsed, brushing against his Æsir—seeking him out again.

Loki looked at the Tesseract oddly as it pulsed, a misty thread stretched from the side closest to Hiccup. He yanked it away with a pointed look shot at Hiccup. "Stop that."

Hiccup crossed his arms and returned it in kind. "Would love to, but I'm not doing anything."

Loki drew in a long breath and quickly deposited the Tesseract into the case and snapped it shut. "Wonderful." He groused.

Hiccup shook his head, annoyed and eyed the cube as it reached out for him again—a warning flaring from it with the brief contact. Loki snatched his arm again and pushed against the foreign magic touching his Chosen. Hiccup looked over his shoulder at the trickster who was glaring at the Tesseract like it was a living animal and poised to bite.

Hiccup walked away, hoping to put Loki at ease. "You can relax. It's not going to sear me out of existence like it apparently did with Schmidt. Actually, I think it likes me—it is how I was looking for you. Found you actually, if you had only given me another hour or so."

Loki's grasp on his arm loosened as they walked further away but the sneer on his face did not leave. "You would do well to stay away from any of those infernal things. But I suppose it matters not, soon all these accursed stones shall be out of our hair."

Hiccup's brows pinched in confusion before turning and staring down at the scepter, always tightly held in his patron's hand. He felt like an idiot for not realizing it sooner. "Th-the Tesseract's not like yours. It's—well, it's…welcoming. It wants to be used, not like what Schmidt wanted but—to just go."

Loki's lip curled. "They all whisper things to entice us to them, to allow them to control our lives. I will not allow it to corrupt your mind."

Hiccup's shoulders fell with a huff. The Tesseract wasn't like that. He knew what Loki was talking about. He heard something distant from the scepter whenever it was near—heard it very clearly when he touched it—but it wasn't, right. The Tesseract fit seamlessly, like the Ancient One had said—their desires were the same so it was happy to remain.

He huffed but ultimately, he said nothing as arguing with Loki, he knew now, was pointless.

Hiccup stood next to Loki in silence as he watched the scientists ensure the portal machine was fully prepared and transferred it to a different vehicle. Hiccup's eyes narrowed at their movements and glanced at Loki.

Loki saw him eyeing the cube and shifted closer, placing himself between it and him.

Hiccup smirked behind his back and called a small ball out of his magic pocket before letting it roll away towards the vehicles.

Loki instantly turned with the tink-tink the ball made. He couldn't get a word out before he was rushing forward and casting a shield over the Tesseract and portal device as the ball exploded. The initial blast passed with a gunshot echoing sharply at its tail. He whirled on his heel to see Hiccup had punched a hired soldier, who'd lept on him just before the bomb went off, then disappeared in a green flash while holding his thigh.

Loki's nostrils flared,. Why couldn't Hiccup see he was trying to protect him?! He almost jeopardized everything. The next second he was sent to his knees in a wave of pain from the scepter as it carried his fury and the face of the Other flashed warningly in his mind.

His breath shuddered as he regained his bearings, distantly hearing the calls of his minions shouting about fires and confirmations that the machine was alright—thank the Norns. He glared at the spot Hiccup disappeared from.

He growled to himself and stood with a grunt. He should have known that Hiccup wouldn't listen to reason, not on something like this. He should have hidden him away when he first retrieved him. He barked some orders to hurry, gripping the scepter until his knuckles turned white.

Hiccup was going to show up for the battle to come, that was undeniable, and he must be ready to do what was needed to protect his child. Hiccup can scream about it later.

*O*

Tony poured over the computer with the backup of the algorithm he and Bruce wrote. He looked down at a despondent Tor sitting at his feet and with a tired sigh asked, "You aren't capable of finding him, are you?"

Tor's ears perked and he reached for their bond, but it was fuzzy. Given enough time he could, provided Hiccup didn't move, and if he could revert to his dragonic form.

Tony sighed and pat his head after he gave a dissatisfied woofle. "It's alright, Tor."

The door hissed and Tony barely turned to glance at the newcomer. Steve stood just inside the door awkwardly with his arms crossed. "So, uh, find anything yet?"

Tony's lip curled. "Just got the program running again."

Steve sighed. "Right, sorry—didn't mean to sound pushy. I'm just-"

"Concerned?" Tony finally met the older yet younger looking man's eyes. "Me too."

"So, is it true?"

Tony followed Steve's gaze to Torbjörg and took a breath, refocusing on the computer. "Yes."

Steve's arms fell with a quiet gasp. "It-it's hard imagining him being older than me…and by that much."

Tony laughed dryly but said nothing. He squinted at the screen then started tapping the keys, tweaking the code and search parameters.

Steve sat and hunched over to run his fingers through his helmet hair. Torbjörg stood and padded over to his old friend, plopping his head down in Steve's lap. Steve smiled grimly and started scratching Tor before remembering his sweet spot. Tor collapsed, groaning in bliss despite his inner turmoil.

Tony turned at the quiet commotion. "Well, at least one of us can't stress about it for a bit."

Steve frowned and looked away from Tor to Tony. "Is he—is he the same Torbjörg as well then?"

Tony nodded with an amused grunt. "One in the same." He shook his head and refocused on the computer. "Gods, I spent nearly four decades thinking—against all scientific possibility—that they were all different dogs. Shoulda listened to my gut."

A tiny smile graced Steve's face before he stood and stood next to Tony but was wholly lost at what he was seeing on the screens.

Tony growled and slammed his fist against the side of the computer. "Dammit, JARVIS, find me something already or link into the Archipelago's satellites."

Steve winced before looking amazed down at the screen as a slightly computerized British voice spoke.

"I'm sorry sir. I have not yet been able to place an accurate trace on the Tesseract and with the Archipelago's abrupt shut down all satellites are in a state of emergency—only top priority commands can get through. Unfortunately, I do not have those codes."

Steve's eyebrows rose and he wanted to say something but Tony cut him off, lips curling. "Does Wakanda have the codes?"

JARVIS was silent for a moment before answering. "Most likely as they are their satellites as well."

Tony fumbled with the phone in his pocket before groaning at the dial screen. "I don't know anyone's number!"

JARVIS made a humming noise before speaking. "I might be able to back track a number but it could take a while to get in contact with the appropriate person."

Tony shook his head. "Don't. That'll leave too much of a trail. I don't think we have that much time, anyway."

Steve watched as Tony's frustration grew. He debated placing a hand on the man's shoulder before deciding against it. "Is this the first time you've lost a—someone in combat?"

Tony glared at Steve. "He wasn't supposed to be in combat. None of us were. Well, maybe you, but Banner and I didn't sign up for that. Uncle H certainly didn't."

Steve looked evenly at Tony. "He's always finding a way in." He looked away and smiled reminiscently.

"Listen Cap, I'm not gonna march to Fury's fife, and I know uncle H sure as Helheim wouldn't." Tony said darkly and scowled at the computer as if he could will the Tesseract into existence.

"I'm not either. Fury's got the same blood on his hands that Loki does." Steve said calmly. "But right now we got to put that behind us and get this done. Now he needs a power source. Let's put together a list of-"

The door swished open and a slightly disgruntled, grey haired man walked in. Tony blinked before saying, "Selvig?"

The man smiled a bit sheepishly. "Yeah…uh, sorry it took so long to get back. Had to come back to myself first."

Steve smiled, half in a friendly gesture and half in relief. "No worries, doctor. But if I can ask-"

"How?" Selvig asked with a shake of amazement. "I woke up in the transport, I can't remember exactly why or how. It's a bit fuzzy after too but I managed to slip away in the confusion of the Tesseract missing."

Tony's nose twitched and he huffed, turning back to the computer with a futile hope that the cube had been pinpointed. "Not anymore."

Selvig sighed. "Yes…Fury filled me in after the doctor cleared me. I think I might be able to help."

Steve moved aside so Selvig could stand next to Tony. "Please, we could use it all."

Selvig started forwards only to pause at the sight of Tor then shook his head. He looked at the algorithm then pointed. "I was in Jersey when the truck stopped for fuel, heading north." He started to reach for the keyboard before pausing and turning to Tony. "May I?"

Tony waved for him to go ahead and watched closely as he entered some more specifics into the algorithm while Steve watched from behind.

"Well, at least it gives us a better benchmark." The super soldier said softly.

Tony's nose wrinkled as he turned to Selvig. "Is there anything you can tell us about the device? How much exact power it needs? What Loki intends to do with it?"

Selvig shook his head. "I didn't need to know, it wasn't a part of the truth I'd been shown. As for the power? Now, with the Iridium and Tesseract, any large power station will do—it just needs a jump start."

Tony growled and started filing through potential targets—they were unfortunately quite a lot.

"However," Selvig started thoughtfully, "I don't think I was totally blind. I created a way to turn it off despite that not being a part of the 'truth'."

Steve paled a bit as he asked. "Then how was it supposed to…?"

"Explode," Selvig said simply.

Tony and Steve shared concerned looks before the former asked, "And how long until that happens?"

Selvig's brow scrunched in thought. "Couple days…weeks? I didn't do the math closely and Loki didn't care. He didn't think he would need it for that long—but it seems like he had some other way to turn it off. He kept talking about delivering the Tesseract to… someone."

Tor stirred, ears shooting up before the rest of him had the strength to move.

Tony frowned at Tor, thinking again of the events of the last few hours, trying to make sense of anything. "Going after Phil like that—he made it personal."

Steve's brows creased. "That's not the point."

Tony's eyes didn't stray from Torbjörg as he struggled to stand, shaking the bliss from his mind. "But that is the point, that's Loki's point. He hit us all right where we live, why?"

Understanding started coming over Steve. "To tear us apart. Though, to be fair, I don't think he meant to—with Hakon." Steve's hands fisted.

Tony nodded. "No doubt, he was aiming for Phil—he wanted to divide and conquer. He'd already hit a lot of our buttons, and Phil was one of the only people all of us were friendly with."

Tor, once his legs were no longer trembling, ran for the door. He whined when it did not open and reared up to pound his front paws on the access panel. The trio watched perplexed as the door hissed open and he bolted out of the room.

Steve looked away to glare at the wall, thinking over Tony's words again while said man continued to stare out the open doorway.

"But now with—how stupid can I get!?" He turned and bolted from the room, phone already open and dialing. "Phil!"

Selvig and Steve shared confused looks as they tried to catch up with the inventor who was already out the open door. Steve had almost caught up to Tony at the end of the hallway when the alarm blared. Steve suppressed the urge to groan—Loki couldn't possibly be attacking already!

Tony started flicking through his phone to find the reason for the alert when a voice came over the speakers :Unidentified personal on flight deck near engine one. All personnel report to stations and prepare for attack.:

The announcement continued but Tony ignored it, realization coming to him. "Tor just ran out…Don't shoot!" He started screaming as he ran through the corridors, trying to reach the top deck before SHIELD started blinding firing. "It's someone from the Archipelago!"

"Archipelago?" Steve asked, easily keeping pace with Tony. "I thought you said they were sealed off."

Tony nodded, catching his breath in the elevator. "They are, but not all of them were in the Archipelago when it was shut up."

They exited the elevator to Clint and Natasha already waiting, preferred weapons drawn. Tony ignored them as he ran out, much to their shock and concern. Natasha was left grasping for the inventor but was pushed away by the force of the airlock opening. "Wait, we're too high! You need an air mask!"

Steve snagged it from her and ran out after the son of his friend who was struggling against the strong winds whipping across the deck. He slapped the mask around Tony's face and caught him as the wind shoved harshly against him.

Tony barely acknowledged Steve as he gripped the mask and squinted against the biting air, searching for Tor or the 'intruder'.

Steve looked around as well and froze when he saw a black speck jumping around eagerly on the deck—it was a miracle he wasn't blown off entirely. They hurried over to a smiling Hiccup hugging Tor while said dog was enthusiastically licking his leg.

Hiccup noticed their approach and smiled nervously. "Uh, hi."

Tony's shoulders sagged, torn between relief and consternation. "You-!" He started, shaking in rage before words failed him.

Steve glanced between Tony and Hiccup before leaving Tony's side to give Hiccup his mask, he could last a while without it. "Let's continue this inside."

Hiccup pushed the mask back towards him and wrapped Torbjörg's fur around his fingers. "You keep it, I'll last for a good while. Besides, no point in keeping up the charade anymore—Loki said that I-" He looked down, shoulders slumping—mostly at the thought of abandoning Loki as he had.

Tony nodded, gripping Steve again as another gust came over the bow and almost blew him over. "Yeah, Thor's still losing his sanity over that little fact…that, and Loki's dabbling in Voodoo."

Hiccup grimaced and fell in line with Steve as Tony started shivering from the biting cold. Hiccup kept a firm hold on Tor, not that he was going to allow Hiccup to leave his side again for a long while.

Hiccup moved oddly in Steve's peripheral and he gasped when he finally looked Hakon over, then promptly let go of Tony to scooped Hiccup up.

Hiccup yelped indignantly and frowned at Steve. "I can walk, Thor dang it all! What is with everyone?"

Tony's confusion lifted when he too spotted what made Steve heroically leap into action. "I think Ana would argue otherwise. That bullet wound doesn't look pretty."

Hiccup huffed while Tor chuffed.

The airlock clicked shut the second they entered, Natasha and Clint both aiming their weapons at the no longer elderly man. Hiccup beamed upon seeing Clint, grateful his eyes were no longer that unnerving blue. "Clint, you're back! How?"

Clint frowned at him. "How do we know you weren't sent here by Loki?"

Hiccup frowned. "How do I know you're not?"

Clint nodded to Natasha. "She knocked me out, apparently that works. Now, how 'bout you? A bit harder to believe since you weren't actually in his control, were you?"

Hiccup bit his lip and looked away. "No. I-I didn't know what to do. Something was wrong with him and—I should have tried harder. We have to stop him. There's an army coming and if it makes it here…" He shook his head, eyes tightly shut.

Natasha and Clint shared looks before lowering their weapons but still on alert, Natasha asking, "And how do you know about that? What did Loki tell you?"

Hiccup snorted, squirming in Steve's grip and wishing he'd be put down already. "Are you kidding? The most he'd tell me was he's doing it to protect us no matter what I-"

The door from the ready room to the adjoining hallway couldn't open fast enough, Thor almost tearing it off its track as he forced it open faster only to stop dead at the sight of Hiccup. They stared unblinkingly at each other for several unbearably long seconds before Hiccup smiled sheepishly.

"Uh…hi, Thor. Hi, uh…oh gods, this is awkward."

"Hiccup?" Thor breathed and Hiccup nodded. "Hiccup, Loki's Chosen?"

Hiccup nodded stiffly and finally twisted out of Steve's grasp and balancing on Tor. "The one and only."

He grunted when Thor pushed everyone aside and picked Hiccup up, hugging him tightly. He patted Thor's back awkwardly as he wheezed, "Thor, air!"

Thor immediately released him. "By the Norns, how are you alive!?"

Hiccup wanted to bend over and hold his knees but couldn't because of Thor holding him by his shoulders and said softly, "Good Thor, it's like I got crushed by my dad again." He smiled fondly. "Eh, that's a bit more complicated and—can we talk after I sit and fix my leg?"

Thor's brow pinched and looked down before his eyes widened and swept Hiccup up again, marching him out of the room. The others followed closely behind; Natasha and Clint still suspicious but a little calmer with Thor's peace. Tony was entirely too amused—just barely fighting back a laugh with his mild worry of what Thor might say or do once the question was answered—and Steve was mostly just worried about Hiccup. First the wound and then the reminder that something had happened, whether he was brainwashed or for some reason playing along…

Hiccup protested again as Thor carried him onto the bridge, much to Fury and the attending crew's surprise, and set him in a chair at the conference table. "What is with you people? I may only have one leg but I'm not an invalid."

Thor crossed his arms, staring Hiccup down hard, and trying to contain his elation, hurt and anger. "How? Why? I thought—Loki, he…"

Thor's thoughts became incoherent so Hiccup ignored them and propped his leg up on another chair. He carefully rolled the pant leg up only for Torbjörg to resume his cleaning regime before he gently pushed the furry head away, holding his hand over the wound and whispering a few words. A green, misty light surrounded his hand before seeping into the wound then began sealing it up.

Steve watched mutely, struggling to comprehend while Tony huffed. "You couldn't have done that before you gave me a heart attack? I have a heart condition!"

Hiccup snorted. "Not anymore you don't."

Tony crossed his arms. "Still!"

Thor came back to himself and scowled, leaning over Hiccup while the younger man shrank back in the chair with an old premonition that he was about to be lectured by his father. "Twice. Twice you have been stabbed and impossibly survived!"

Hiccup felt his cheeks flush coolly. "Uhm, well, not exactly."

"Explain." Thor growled.

Fury took several steps closer, very interested in this conversation, along with everyone else.

Hiccup bit his lip, glancing over Fury's shoulder to a known Hydra plant who was subtly listening with extreme intrigue. "Can we discuss this after the crisis is averted?"

"Not the second one!" Thor roared.

Hiccup sighed and slipped his leg off the chair while giving Tor a good rubdown. "He didn't actually stab me." He proceeded to give them a brief rundown of the conversation as well as most everything else since Loki unexpectedly appeared.

Fury, who had shoved his way between Steve and Tony to stand near Hiccup and glower down at the man, fighting back an extremely irate growl. "So, you're trying to convince me that not only is Loki also being mind-controlled but he's also invading Earth in defense of it? You do realize how insane this sounds?"

Hiccup nodded slowly. "Trust me, I get it. I tried arguing the same point with him but-" he sighed and shook his head, slumping a bit, "he's convinced this is the only way. Maybe it's him or it might be whoever is behind the curtain—I guess right now it doesn't really matter."

Fury crossed his arms with a huff. "You've at least got that right. We can discuss the rest of this later, right now we need a plan to take out Loki and the Tesseract. You don't happen to have a location, do you?"

Hiccup's nose scrunched as he shook his head, dredging through memories. "No. I mean, I know where I was at—some warehouse in New York city—but I don't know where Loki's taking the Tesseract. It was already being prepped for transport again when I teleported out and I wasn't too worried about it when I was attempting to teleport to a moving object—not an easy thing to do, mind you."

Tony hummed and brought up his phone, narrowing the search parameters more and started talking as he worked. "Great, well at least we've got a city. Granted it just has to be one of the most populated places around. So the Rock of Ages must want to be seen as he tries to defeat us…" He straight and looked at Steve. "He wants an audience."

Steve turned to face Tony as the man began pacing, phone forgotten. "Right. Like his act in Stuttgart."

Tony started speaking faster as his mind began to finally work everything out. "That was just the previews and this is opening night. And Loki, he's a full tilt deva. He wants flowers, he wants parades, he wants a monument built to the skies with his name plastered—son of a bitch."

Hiccup gasped, catching onto Tony's train of thought, then snarled, "Loki curse it all, Loki!"

Thor stared at Tony in shock and horror. "Have care of how you speak about our mother!" But Tony wasn't listening, having already run for the door.

Clint had to look away as he fought a small smile at the fact that Loki's name was used as a curse while Steve held up a pacifying hand to the Nordic god. "I'm pretty sure that was just an expression and not an actual reflection of your mother."

Hiccup was quick to confirm it. "Of course not. Grandmother is amazing."

Thor's face fell again. "Norns above—have you kept the truth from her!?"

Hiccup paled a bit at that. "Good Thor no! Loki and I aren't that stupid nor suicidal."

Thor's shoulders fell with a sigh of relief—grateful he wouldn't have to break that bit of news to her.

Tony stopped just at the doorway, looking at the group a bit perturbed. "Hey! Are you guys coming or are you going to let my tower get demolished?!"

Steve bobbed his head as if thinking before smirking at Tony who glared but he was already rushing off to prep his battered suit.

Hiccup stood and let his magic roll over him, leaving him in proper Archipelagan battle attire. He heard the startled inhale of the Hydra agent and couldn't help but grin. If his cover was going to be shot to Helheim, might as well do it with a 'dramatic flair'. Natasha and Clint's startled looks weren't bad either while Steve just looked done.

Torbjörg still stood by his side but now whined anxiously, shoulders twitching. Hiccup smiled and placed a hand on his back, sending a small 'wait' through the bond.

They marched down to a launch bay where Thor paused as the others boarded the commandeered Quinjet, orders from Fury not yet making it down, and turned to Hiccup. "Do you need a lift or will you finally show them?"

Hiccup sighed and looked down at Torbjörg, deeply conflicted.

Tor barked deeply, head flinging to the side from the force of it—determination in his eyes.

Hiccup's fallen shoulders squared up as he nodded to his familiar. "A battle is coming, we're gonna need every ally we can get."

Thor grinned widely.

The jet started whining as it started up and Tony entered, fully suited but mask up. "Are we leaving or not?"

Thor started whirling his hammer with a smile and Hiccup nodded at his godson.

Tony smirked as the mask lowered. "J, make sure you get recordings of the Pirate. I want to see his head explode."

He stepped off the edge of the hanger and shot off into the cloudy sky, a repulsor failing once before catching again.

Hiccup walked up to the edge only to pause when Steve leaned out the back of the Quinjet and shouted, "Hakon! We're ready—what are you doing?"

Hiccup smiled at him before falling over the edge, Tor leaping after him.

Steve cried out in alarm while Natasha and Clint both sucked in sharp breaths. Steve ran back in, face whitening with panic. "Go after him!"

Clint was already increasing the throttle but Natasha eyed Thor who merely looked down amused before throwing Mjolnir and following Tony's course. The Quinjet just starts to take off when a black shape darts across their narrow view.

Fury watches Tony leave, expecting a Quinjet to soon be following—already having gotten reports of Rogers stealing the jet. What he got instead, was a maelstrom of calls of Hyse jumping over the edge without so much as a parachute. He began barking orders when a shadow darted across the sky, too large to be Thor. "Someone get me visual on that anomaly!"

He ran up to his command post and watched the screen as a technician brought up the camera. And what he was seeing was impossible. "Is this a joke?"

The man who pulled the feed shook his head. "No sir!" He sounded a bit shaken, glued to his own screen. "It gets more disturbing."

"How could it possibly-" Fury was answered by a video, only seconds older, of Hyse jumping from the launch bay. The cameras under the Helicarrier caught their fall and a green flash—Hyse's normal attire was replaced with some sort of armor he couldn't hope to place and Tor…He stared at the screen. The mutt was gone, his place taken over by a black beast with wings.

Hill was by his side in a moment and for a moment her composure fell. "What is that?"

"Well, agent Hill," Phil said, coming to stand near his director, "it looks to be like some sort of dragon."

Fury took in a carefully measured breath and slowly turned to Phil. "Agent Coulson, is there something you would like to add to your personnel profile?"

Phil grinned and looked back out the window. "Maybe…We'll see if it's actually needed." His smile fell and became quite serious again at the reminder of the impending battle.

Back in the Quinjet, Natasha swore in Russian as Hiccup's laughter filled the coms, Tony chuckled as well. Steve continued to stare at their winged companion who seemed to easily keep pace with them.

"Has he—how did—is he a dragon or a dog?" Steve finally asked, brain stalling multiple times.

Natasha shook her head, blinking rapidly while trying to convince herself that what she was seeing was real. Even with the rumble of the engines they could hear the amused roar from the no-longer-furry Torbjörg.

The com inside each of their ears screamed as Thor tapped his repetitively. "Is this working? How does this work? What sort of magic makes it function? Is it a temporary thought bond?"

"Good Thor," Hiccup muttered, hunkering close to Toothless as he pulled several loops and stunts—enjoying the freedom of flight again, "since when have you started asking so many questions?"

Thor turned to his brother's child and scowled. "I see Loki has taught you more than just his magic."

Hiccup snorted. "Thor, that was never in question even before I met Loki. God of thunder and might you might be, but your title was never one of curiosity."

Tony's voice suddenly crackled over the coms. :Guys, Loki's got some kind of energy barrier around the Tesseract. I can't get through it.:

The light, pre-battle chatter was immediately silenced, uncertainty filling the still air. The coms crackled again then suddenly Selvig was speaking. :I-I remember that! That's a part of what I was telling you, I wasn't completely out of it. I made a way to break through the shielding and shut it off.:

:Care to share, Doctor Selvig?: Fury said, almost irately.

:The staff, you need the staff.: Selvig's voice came through shaky at the memories but sure in his confidence. :The energies are similar enough that it can cut through the shielding since it draws power from the Tesseract itself.:

Tony hummed. :Then it's a good thing I'm staring at it.:

Hiccup's spine stiffened then he was tucking against Toothless to be as streamlined as possible, urging him over the bond to go faster. "Tony, don't!"

But there was silence over the coms.

Well, until next time, happy New Year! R&R!