The Ancient Sorceress ~Loki x Bucky AU~

Chapter 14

After the attack in the helicarrier had come to an end, everyone was made aware of the casualties. Agent Phil Coulson was gone, and everyone felt the devastation at the sad news. Coulson died believing in the Avengers. Fury, grabbed Coulsons' Captain America trading cards and went into the conference/control room, where Tony Stark and Steve Rogers sat waiting. Fury used Coulsons death to help fuel the push the Avengers needed. Stark was furious, and distraught. He had lost a friend. Fury reminded them of the Avengers Initiative, saying that the world needed a remarkable group of people to step up and become something more. When Stark left the room, Cap decided to follow to check on the struggling man.

Stark was standing on the edge of the platform, staring at the trap door in which Thor had fallen through in the cell meant to keep Loki.

"Was he married?" Cap cautiously asked, trying to find a way to lighten the mood, maybe even comfort Stark.

"No...There was a uhhhh cellist.... I think?" Stark scoffed lightly.

"I'm sorry...He seemed like a good man."

Tony laughed and shot a smirk at Rogers. "He was an idiot."

"Why? For believing?" Cap shot back.

"For taking on Loki alone."

"He was just doing his job." Cap jabbed.

Tony made his way towards Rogers, he scoffed again. This time his anger starting to boil up to the surface.

"He was out of his league. He should have waited... He should've...." Tony hesitated trying to find some reason as to why his friend was stupid enough to fight a god alone.

"Sometimes there isn't a way out Tony." Cap scolded.

Tony narrowed his eyes at the super soldier, "Right I've heard that before."

"Is this the first time you lost a soldier?" Cap turned towards the retreating man.

Tony stopped and turned on his heel to face the man before him. "We are NOT soldiers?!" He yelled. He paused and took a breath. "I'm not marching to Fury's fife."

"Neither am I," the soldier agreed. "He's got the same blood on his hands that Loki does. But right now we got to put that behind us and get this done." Tony looks at the blood stain on the wall where his friend was slain. "Now Loki needs a power source. If we can put together a list..."

"He made it personal," Stark interrupted. Cap was starting to get irritated.

"That's not the point..."

"That is the point. That's Loki's point." Stark stated. "He hit us all where we live...why?"

Rogers thought for a second, "To tear us apart."

"Yeah, divide and conquer is great, but he knows he has to take us out to win, right?" Stark rambled thinking through the situation. "That's what he wants. He wants to beat us, he wants to be seen doing it." Stark looked at Cap with realization. "He wants an audience."

Cap listened carefully to what Stark was saying. "Right...I caught his act in Stuttgart."

"Yeah yeah... but that's just previews. This is opening night. And Loki...he's a full-tilt diva, right?" Cap nodded his head, trying to keep up with the billionaire genius in front of him. "He wants flowers...he wants parades... He wants a monument built to the skies with his name plastered..." Stark stopped realizing exactly where they needed to go. "Son of a bitch."

Cap looked at Tony turning to catch up with the man running down the steps, heading back into the main areas of the helicarrier. Cap went to round up Natasha and found Clint recovered from the fight and no longer under Loki's control. He told them to suit up and that he would disclose the other details along the way. They got into the Quinjet and made their way to their destination...Stark Tower.