Avengers: Incursion

Epilogue: To the Devil

Loki stood in the shadows of the Dark One's palace and cast a glance at his company. The Hag was hunched over, her gnarled form draped in a tattered cloak that hid the entirety of her appearance from view. She was silent as the grave, her attention fixed upon the expanse of darkness before them. Of The Hag, Loki knew very little. What he did know was that she was a devout servant of the Dark One, her loyalty unwavering.

"Your friend is late," The Hag spoke in a rasping voice. She looked over at Loki, her orange eyes gleaming in the shadow her hood cast. Strings of wet, white hair slipped from the hood. Her hands, bone white and withered, held onto a black stick she used to prop herself up, prompting Loki to question her vitality.

"Amora will be here," he assured the woman. "She understands how important this is."

The Hag laughed, a wet and gurgling noise. "The Dark One does not trust her. He thinks she will fail him. And if she does..."

Loki stared blankly at The Hag while she smacked her lips as if she were enjoying a tasty morsel. The creature was disgusting to him- a twisted old crustacean who resorted to hiding her visage beneath her rags.

"As you can see," Amora declared as she stepped through the dark gate. "I am successful."

Modi and Magni wailed violently in Amora's arms, their little fists punching at her in a way that caused her to wince. Modi took a handful of Amora's hair and gave it a mighty tug.

"Brat!" Amora hissed before hefting the child up as if to throw him.

"Enough, Amora," Loki said as he hastily snatched the boy from her hand.

"Why, Loki," Amora sighed. "One might think you cared about the boy's wellbeing."

"They are no good to us injured- or worse," Loki cautioned her.

"I will take those two little ones," The Hag said before reaching out and snatching the boys from Loki and Amora. Without another word, she slipped them into the dark recesses of her cloak, where their crying promptly ceased. "There, there, little ones. Snuggle up to The Hag. Warm and safe. For now."

Loki watched the exchange, his eyes resting on the boys' faces for a heartbeat before they were swallowed up in the cloak's darkness. They looked so like Thor as a boy. Then he took note of the charred state of Amora's clothes, the blood that soaked her skin. A wound on her throat was in a state of healing but her chest and abdomen were marred with deep gashes. "What happened to you?" He asked.

Amora scowled. "Dean's bitch of a mother," she muttered.

Loki lifted a brow. "A mortal did this to you?"

"She wielded a knife forged from uru," Amora explained. "Strong enough to cut but still ineffective at doing irreparable harm."

Loki smirked. "Quite a mess she made of you."

Amora looked at him and her eyes danced with malevolent satisfaction. "You should see the state I left her in."

Loki faltered. "You...killed her?"

"Of course," Amora scoffed. "She had the audacity to cut me open. Why would I allow her to live after such an offense?"

Loki smiled widely, recovering from the initial shock. "Well, Amora. You are certainly full of surprises. I did not believe you had that in you."

Amora shook her head and walked behind Loki, following The Hag further inside the castle. "Your days of underestimating me are done," she promised. "There is no bridge I will not cross now."

Loki stared after her and couldn't restrain a strange emotion he felt inside. As he fell in behind the women, he thought about the massive undertaking they were about to enact. He recalled past attempts to gain power and the disasters they had wrought. With each act, he'd created a deeper rift between Thor and himself. But this act? The act of stealing his sons away from him and subjecting them to such dark and atrocious acts? This would be the final blow on their troubled brotherhood. This would effectively decimate it.

"But, then, once I have attained what I want, I will decimate the Lion of Asgard as well," Loki silently promised.

No longer would his glorious light outshine Loki. The notion of a world without Thor in it made him smile.

"The Dark One will reward you handsomely for this," The Hag promised as she hobbled along the dark corridor. "When he ascends and reclaims the world, you will have the powers you crave."

And more, Amora thought. So much more.

Snowbird was startled awake from her restless dreams. As she sat up and surveyed her room, the reality of the dreams hit her and she knew the time had come.

Her purpose was now.

Thor and Lumen will return in Avengers: Damnation.