Lady Dahlia | Loki Odinson

Chapter 51 - Endgame

Dahlia jumps off Scott's hand with Rhodey, Rocket, and Bruce, ready to join the others in the fight.

"Avengers...Assemble." Steve says. He leads the charge into battle and Dahlia summons her sword and dagger as she uses her magic to sense her surroundings. She fights, using a combination of her blades and magic.

Dahlia stumbles as an alien manages to sneak up behind her and attempt to tackle her. More surround her and she sighs. Before they can attack, Pepper destroys them and lands beside her.

"Is Freddie okay?" She asks as they fight back-to-back.

"Yeah. He and Morgan are with Happy and Pietro." Pepper answers. She sighs, relieved, and they get back to the battle.

"Cap! What do you want me to do with this damn thing?" Clint asks over the comms a few minutes later.

"Get those stones as far away as possible!" He replies, fighting off an alien.

"No!" Bruce protests. "We need to get 'em back where they came from."

"No way to get 'em back. Thanos destroyed the quantum tunnel." Tony argues.

"Hold on!" Scott says, returning to normal size. "That wasn't our only time machine." Dahlia chuckles as the van's horn plays La Cucaracha.

"Anyone see an ugly brown van out there?" Steve asks.

"Yes! But you're not gonna like where it's parked!" Valkyrie answers.

"Scott, how long you need to get that thing working?" Tony asks.

"Uh, maybe ten minutes." He replies.

"Get it started. We'll get the stones to you." Steve tells him.

"We're on it, Cap." Hope says.

Minutes later, Thanos' ship begins firing on the battlefield. Dahlia grunts as she's knocked off her feet. She sighs as one of the sorcerer's creates a shield, covering her and the others around them.

"Uh, is anyone else seeing this?" Pepper asks, spotting the water about to flood the area. Doctor Strange rushes forward to use his magic to control it, keeping the water from reaching the battle.

Suddenly, the guns stop firing at them and instead turn towards the sky.

"What the hell is this?" Sam asks.

Carol flies through the ship, creating explosions and deactivating the guns. She turns around and flies up through the center of it, destroying the ship.

"Danvers, we need an assist here." Steve says. 

She takes the glove from Peter Parker, and many of the other badass women join her to cover her as she gets the glove to the van. Before she can reach it, Thanos throws his weapon at the van, destroying it.

Dahlia continues to fight until they suddenly begin turning to dust. She senses as Thanos' army begins to disappear. She frowns, confused, until her magic reaches Tony. She rushes towards him, fighting tears. 

"We won, Mr. Stark. We won, Mr. Stark." Peter is saying as she reaches them. She drops down on Tony's other side, taking his hand. "We won! You did it, sir, you did it." He cries. Someone pulls him away and Dahlia shifts so she's in Tony's eyeline.

"I'm here, Tony." She assures him. She gently squeezes his hand as she sobs. She focuses her magic on him, relieving his pain while trying to heal him. She begs the universe to let her save him like she saved Pietro as she sobs. "I'm sorry." She tells him as someone gently moves her to the side so Pepper can speak with him.

Dahlia holds his other hand as Pepper says her goodbyes. She sobs harder as his hand goes limp and someone grabs her arms, pulling her away.

Loki wraps his arms around her, and she buries her face in his chest as she cries. He soothes her as best as he can, knowing Tony is one of her few family members left. 

***

After the battle, everyone splits into groups to be sent home. Dahlia clutches onto Loki, distracted as she thinks about how she's going to tell her son that he won't ever see his uncle again. The portal opens in front of them, and they walk through, stepping onto the porch of Dahlia's house.

She doesn't even think to talk to Loki, so desperate to hold her son that it completely slips her mind that he doesn't know. She opens the door and steps inside. She hears little feet rushing into the room and drops to her knees, holding her arms out.

"Mama!" Freddie yells, throwing himself into her arms. She holds him tight, never wanting to be separated from him that long ever again.

Pietro enters the room, his eyes widening as he spots Loki standing in the doorway staring at Dahlia and Freddie. He rolls his eyes, realizing she must have forgotten to tell him from the shocked expression on his face.

"Dahlia? I think you forgot to talk to someone." He tells her. He winces when she lifts her head, seeing that she's obviously been crying. He instantly knows that something went wrong even though they'd managed to bring everyone back. He backs out of the room, giving them privacy.

Dahlia stands, holding Freddie in her arms as she turns to face Loki. He looks between them, immediately noticing the similarities between them. He cups Dahlia's face in his hand, wiping her tears as he fights not to cry himself.

"I have a son?" He asks her quietly. She nods.

"Freddie, this is your father." She tells him.

"Daddy?" He asks, reaching his hands out. Loki quickly wipes the tears from his face and guides his son's hands to his face, letting him feel. Freddy giggles as he explores his face, making Loki and Dahlia chuckle. "Daddy!" He exclaims, recognizing his features from the bust Tony had gifted him. Freddie laughs, diving out of Dahlia's arms and into Loki's.

Loki holds him tight as he begins to cry, both happy and sad. Sad that he's missed the first years of his son's life, but happy that there will be many to come and that he's been reunited with his family.

Dahlia wraps her arms around them and the family clutches onto each other, thankful to be together.

***

"Everybody wants a happy ending, right? But it doesn't always roll that way. Maybe this time. I'm hoping if you play this back...it's in celebration. I hope families are reunited. I hope we get it back. And something like a normal version of the planet has been restored. If there ever was such a thing. God, what a world. Universe, now. If you told me ten years ago that we weren't alone, let alone to this extent, I mean, I wouldn't have been surprised, but come on, who knew? The epic forces of darkness and light that have come into play. And for better or worse, that's the reality Morgan-and Freddie- are gonna have to find a way to grow up in." Tony's hologram says.

Freddie clutches Dahlia tighter at the mention of his name. She wipes her tears and kisses the top of his head, knowing he's sad and confused. She sits on the couch next to Pepper with Freddie in her lap, Morgan pressed into her mother's other side. Happy sits next to Morgan, and Rhodey sits in the armchair next to them. Loki stands behind Dahlia, resting his hands on her shoulder. Thor and Steve stand next to him.

"So I thought I'd better record a little greeting in the case of an untimely death. On my part. Not that death at any time isn't untimely. This time travel thing that we're gonna try and pull off tomorrow, it's got me scratching my head about the survivability of it all. That's the thing. Then again, that's the hero gig, right? Part of the journey is the end." The hologram continues. Tony stands. "What am I even tripping for? Everything is gonna work out exactly the way it's supposed to." He crouches down, somehow managing to look directly at Morgan. "I love you 3,000." He tells her before he disappears.

Pepper leads the way out of the house, holding Morgan's hand. Dahlia follows behind, clutching onto Loki's arm with one hand, the other carrying Freddie. Happy and Rhodey follow them, Thor and Steve next. 

Pepper crouches at the end of the dock, gently setting the memorial for Tony on the water. Dahlia shifts and Loki wraps his arm around her, pulling her into his side.