Fiction Traveler: Into The MCU

9 - Battle Of New York

From up above at Stark tower, I could see Tony getting blown away from the top where the tesseract was. He looked down and saw us, lowering down to the area to take his armor off. When his helmet was removed, his eyes caught mine and my mind raced. I was on the wrong side of this fight. I knew that. Loki knew that I knew that. He grabbed my arm and dragged me inside.

"If you want to stay on their good side, follow my lead." I didn't know what he meant but he held his staff to my abdomen.

"Loki, what are you doing?"

"He doesn't know you came willingly. I know what you think of it. If I lose, as you say I do, then you could still return to their side safely when this is over." I looked at him and the conflict, pain and exhaustion in his face. He was fighting Thanos. He was fighting his control. To help me.

"Alright Loki. Let her go. She's done nothing wrong." Stark ordered, walking into the living room.

"Don't tell me you're going to appeal to my humanity."

"Actually I'm planning to threaten you." Tony walked down the stairs and towards the bar. Loki moved me roughly towards him a few steps and I faked trying to get away.

"You should have left your armor on for that."

"Yeah. It's seen a bit of mileage, and you've got the glow stick of destiny. Would you like a drink?" Loki laughed.

"Stalling me won't change anything."

"No, no, threatening. No drink? You sure? What about you?" He gestures to me. Loki looks at me before throwing me onto the floor, grazing my knees. I scramble away and towards Tony. Loki was right. He was going to lose and I had to keep this to look real.

"The Chitahuri are coming. Nothing will change that. What have I to fear?" Loki looked out the window at the skyline of New York.

"The Avengers." I get distracted as I lean against the bench and take the newly poured drink from Stark and gulp a mouthful of it, sighing as I allowed the alcohol to reach my system. Tony reached for two bracelets on the counter. "When they come, and they will, they'll come for you."

"I have an army."

"We have a Hulk." I say in unison with Tony. He looks back at me and I shrug unapologetically.

"Oh I thought the beast had wandered off."

"You're missing the point. There is no throne. There is no version of this where you come out on top. Maybe your army comes and maybe it's too much for us, but it's all on you. Because if we can't protect Earth you can be damn well sure we'll avenge it." Tony takes a sip of his glass while Loki advances on him threateningly.

"How will your friends have time for me, when they're so busy fighting you." He lifts the staff onto Stark's chest and it hits the reactor with a tink and nothing happens. "Why isn't this working?"

"Well, performance issues, not uncommon." Loki's eyes shift to mine and my eyes gleam mischievously. "You know, one out of five." I can't help but laugh until Loki grips Tony by the throat and chucks him across the floor, just like he did to me.

He picks him back up off the ground. "You will all fall before me." He extends his arm, making Stark fall through the glass and down toward the street. Despite knowing what's going to happen, I still rush to the edge with concern for him. The Iron Man suit deploys from the wall, nearly running Loki over in its path.

"Well that went well." I comment, walking back to the bar for that drink. "Hey Loki, how do I know the Chitahuri won't kill me the second they get here?"

"Because they will be under my control, and I will order them to leave you alone. Once this is all over, I would like to get more acquainted with you." I look up at him sadly.

"Loki, you know how this ends." He steps over to me and takes one of my hands in his.

"But maybe it won't. Maybe it'll be different this time. I mean, you weren't here in the movie but you're here now, that's different. You could help me achieve my goal." I pull my hand away, knowing exactly how this is going to go.

"Loki. My job here is to make sure it all goes to plan. Even if you were close to succeeding I would have to make sure you don't. Tony's right. Coulson's right. There is no version where you win because it's your job to lose. It's..." I stop.

"It's my nature." Tears fill my vision. I hate doing this.

"Loki I'm sorry." I reach out for him but he rejects it.

"No. You're not. You are like everyone else. I thought you were different. I thought you saw something in me that no one else did and I wanted so desperately to believe that."

"Loki I do. I see so much in you that even you don't see. You are strong, independent, and a truly remarkable person and I believe you could be so much more."

"Then why won't you let me!"

"Because I don't have a choice! If I don't do this then someone else will and it's not going to be pretty!" I was talking about the TVA. I realize how grateful I was that the old man had given me this opportunity, this chance to prevent Loki getting arrested by the TVA.

"Well. I guess we are done here now. Seeing as your soul purpose is to sabotage me and my purpose."

"It's not your purpose Loki. It's Thanos'. And I know that this isn't what you want."

"You know nothing!" Scenes from the Loki series flick through my head.

"I know that you don't like hurting people, and that it's all a façade to keep up the illusion. I know that because you said so, a few days from now." He looks at me in pain, not just physical pain.

"I don't know why I thought I could trust you." He points the scepter at me and I know he's considering killing me. Tears spill over and I choke back a sob. "I have to go." He walks out without another word and I collapse from sheer exhaustion from the fight. He didn't kill me. Part of him wanted to but he didn't. That alone proved that he wasn't a cold blooded killer like everyone thought. Just a confused, conflicted one.

That was when Iron Man rose up from the side of the building. "And there's one more person you pissed off. His name was Phil." A pulse shot was heard coming from the Iron Man suit and a loud grunt from Loki. I stood up, peaking over the bar to see him sliding along the floor. Iron Man flew off and I rushed to Loki to see if he was okay but he pushed me away.

"I don't need your help." We both paused at the sound of explosions and Loki chuckled. "The Chitauri are here. Your planet is doomed. Do you still think I'm going to lose?"

"Give it time." I retorted with a glare, backing off from him. He stood up and started to walk off. "Where are you going?" He turned back to me with a glare before conjuring a rope in his hands and grabbing my arm. I tried to hit him hard but he didn't even flinch. Loki dragged me to the counter, using the rope to tie my hands together and around one of the pole legs of the bench. "Loki, what are you doing?"

"I don't trust you to stay here so I'm making you. You will not sabotage my rule." He walked out, refusing to listen to my screaming arguments. Just great. What now?

"Loki I swear to god I will find some sort of knife and kill your stupid ass myself!" That worked. He came right back, looking angry and fed up.

"Fine. If you insist. I may not be able to control your mind but I can still manipulate it. He points the scepter to my forehead and the stone beams brightly.

"Loki, what are you doing? Stop it. Please. I'm sorry alright. Loki!" I feel a flash of pain that clouds my vision and I scream in agony before feeling the fog settle in rapidly. He was putting me to sleep so I wouldn't interfere. I did everything to fight it but the feeling of blissful sleep was too strong and I eventually just let it overtake my urge to stay awake, watching Loki's firm yet regretful expression, allowing it to lull me to silence.