In Another Life • A Loki/Fixing Marvel FanFic

Chapter 8 : War

As I feel something pulling me up, the wind begins whipping through my long white hair.

"Miranda?... Meredith?"

I hear a voice, but it feels distant. The wind rushes past me as someone lifts me up, carrying me upward.

I drift in and out of consciousness until I finally manage to open my eyes. "Thor?" I murmur, realizing I'm cradled in Thor's arms as he flies through the sky.

"Meredith!" He lands back on solid ground, his concern etched in every line of his face. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," I assure him, though the dizziness lingers. "Are you heading to the battle?"

He nods, determination in his eyes. "Good. Can you drop me off at Stark Tower? That's where Loki is."

"I will not let him near you again!" Thor's grip tightens as he looks down at me, but I reach up and pat his arm gently.

"Thor, I let him hurt me. I knew he wouldn't kill me, so I didn't fight back," I explain, though I can see the confusion in his eyes. He hesitates, then sighs deeply.

"Alright, Mer. I hope you're right." With a determined nod, he grabs onto my waist. "Hold on." Thor swings his hammer, and we're off.
.....

"Loki!" Thor lands with a crash on the balcony of Stark Tower, with me in tow. "Turn off the Tesseract, or I will destroy it!"

Loki's gaze flicks to me, then back to Thor. "You can't. There is no stopping it. There is only the war."

"So be it," Thor growls before lunging at Loki. As they engage, I teleport to the streets below to help with the Chitauri, those ugly, skeletal-looking aliens. I know it's only a matter of time before Hulk smashes the scepter out of Loki's grip.

"Hey guys, I'm back," I say into the comm system, quickly adjusting to the battlefield.

"About time, kid. What's the plan?" Tony's voice crackles through the earpiece.

"Can I make the plan? Is that okay?"

"Go for it, Miranda," Steve's steady voice comes through, giving me the green light.

"Alright, Cap and Nat, stay on the ground. Clint, I'm coming to pick you up and place you on a rooftop. I want you to call out strays and patterns. Tony and I will maintain the perimeter; we need to ensure the aliens stay within the evacuated area. And someone needs to tell Thor to use his lightning to focus on those giant flying whales!"

"Giant whales?" Tony echoes, and as if on cue, the leviathan emerges from the portal. "You know, kid, your resume is growing way too fast for me. Now you're a psychic." I laugh despite the chaos. "I see Thor, I'll let him know," Tony adds.

"Clint, I see you. Get ready," I say as I swoop down near him. "Clench up, Legolas."

"Nice nickname, kid. I'll have to use that," Tony quips. Of course, I borrowed it from him.
....

The battle rages on, and I listen to the team through the comms, as if I'm watching the movie play out, only now, I'm part of it. I'm on my own, fighting to keep the army from breaching the perimeter. Banner has just arrived, which means we're nearing the end. I'm just grateful everyone is safe. I hear Cap reiterate my strategy as I continue tearing through the Chitauri. I'm letting the events unfold like the movie, but without civilians in danger, the stakes feel more manageable. Hopefully, people will be more grateful for their saved lives than angry about the destroyed buildings.

"I can close the portal," Natasha's voice comes through. That's my cue. I fly to Stark's penthouse and find Loki lying in a dented crater. I pull off my glasses and kneel beside him.