My Avengers (1)

Chapter 17

(Y/n's POV)

When I wake, I'm groggy and disorientated, eyes fuzzy. Unfocused.

And I have a very strong sense of deja vu.

"Good morning darling," a familiar, silky smooth voice says to me.

Loki stands before me in his classic, green battle armour, with the sceptre in his hand.

"How are you feeling?"

"Um, sore. Stiff. But my arm doesn't hurt as much anymore. Did you fix it?"

"You dislocated your shoulder and broke your arm. I reset the shoulder easily, but your arm seemed to fix itself on its own."

"It.... what?" I stretch out my arm and flex my fingers.

"Seems as though you're more of a mystery than anyone realised."

"What's going on? Where are we?"

"This," he gestures around him with his free hand, "is Stark Towers."

"Stark? As in Tony Stark? Tin Man?"

"How sweet. And here I thought pet names were reserved only for people who cared about each other."

"Well he's the only one who gave a damn about me so," I shrug and my sentence tails off.

"I see. Anyway I figured this would be the perfect place for the final showdown. Don't you agree?"

"Uh, I guess so. Loki?"

"Y/n."

"Why did you save me?"

"Why wouldn't I? You've given me reason to trust you, after all."

"Yeah, but if your goal is to destroy humanity, surely I'm going to die anyway?"

"If I can save myself then I'm pretty sure I can save you too," he says as he holds his hands together behind his back. "Do you doubt me?"

"Yes," I answer honestly. "But I also doubt the others. I think their power and their strength is commendable, but they lack trust in each other. When it comes down to it, I don't know if they can rely on each other to be a saviour. I couldn't."

He watches me, curious.

"As for you, I think you're a little bit broken."

"Broken? Me? I am Loki of-"

"Of Asgard. Yeah, I know. But you are also the brother of Thor, and separation from family can be a really difficult thing."

I try to read him, and I can almost see what he feels. Fear, anger, determination, sadness.

"You're scared. If you open up, and tell people how you really feel, then you make yourself vulnerable and open to rejection, which is something you haven't felt in a long, long time."

He comes closer, ever so slowly, in a daunting manner, "Did you just look inside my head?"

"I did."

"You are a bold one, aren't you?"

"Yes I am. I'm also afraid. But I don't see it as a weakness, I believe it to be a strength. My fear is what keeps me going."

"Do you fear me?"

"Yes."

"I see. And in the event that you had to choose on which side to stand?"

"I honestly don't know what I would do. I don't think that's something I could decide unless I was placed in that situation. But I think, for now, you could use someone on your side. I don't think you're as bad as they say you are."

Loki's head turns ever so slightly towards the door, and I know he's heard something.

"Well darling, seems like you might be in that situation very soon."

Footsteps from the bridge outside grow louder and louder.

"Um, I think I'm gonna stay out of the way for a while," I say as I stand up. "I don't know if they think I'm dead or alive, but it'd be good to have the element of surprise, you know?"

His thoughts shout loud and clear, he thinks I'm going to double cross him.

"I won't."

"You won't what?"

"Double cross you."

He sighs, "That's gonna get very old very quickly."

"I know," I turn and walk away from him, looking for a decent place to conceal myself.

As I'm going, I try to read the person approaching, try to see who it is we're facing first, but everything is scattered. Thoughts and emotions are all over the place.

Guilt. Strength. Fear. Vengeance. Insult.

Oh yeah, I know who this is.

"Please tell me you're not here to appeal to my humanity," Loki says as Tin Man walks into his own home, alone.

"Nah, I'm actually planning on threatening you."

"Think you should've kept your armour on for that."

"Well, you know, it's seen a fair bit of mileage today. Deserves a rest I reckon. I see you've got your.... blue, glowy stick of destiny thing. Wanna put it down and have a drink?"

I watch from my hiding spot as Stark walks behind his bar.

"Stalling me won't change anything."

"No no, not stalling. Threatening. Sure you don't want a drink? I'm gonna have one."

"The Chitauri are coming, Tin Man, nothing will change that. What have I to fear?"

Stark pauses, I'm assuming because he's been called a name that he only hears from me.

That was Loki's mistake.

"I'd say you should fear The Avengers. It's what we call ourselves, sorta like a team, you know? 'Earth's Mightiest Heroes' kinda thing."

"Yes, I've heard of them. And if I'm not mistaken, you're one member short, are you not?"

His hand wavers slightly but he still manages to pour his whiskey into the tumbler.

"I wouldn't say that. We all came into this knowing we could die at any time. We're gonna win this thing, and we'll mourn later. We'll celebrate y/n's life like it should be celebrated."

Of course. After they all left me to the fire, they just assumed I died.

"Shall we do a head count? Minus the kid, of course. There's your brother, the Demi-God," Stark keeps talking as Loki casually walks around the room, and I notice him slip a silver bracelet onto each wrist before picking up his drink. "We've got a super soldier, a living legend who kinda lives up to the legend, a man with breath-taking anger management issues, a couple of master assassins.... And you've managed to piss off each and every one of them."

"That was the plan."

"Not a great plan, as they're all coming. And when they get here, they're heading straight for you."

"I have an army," Loki shrugs.

"I have the Hulk."

"Shame. I thought the beast wandered off."

"I think you're missing the point. At the end of this, you don't get a throne. There is no version of this where you come out on top. Face it. You're gonna lose."