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Chapter Text

Odin rarely left Asgard, but it was becoming a habit as he increasingly talked with Thanos. It wasn’t hard — he could go anywhere. His children hadn’t ascended to the throne just yet; he could make promises to the Mad Titan. He could save Asgard and the other remaining realms if he just took care of Midgard, he would remind himself. Thanos, with his newfound Children, are worse than anything my boys can take on alone. Fighting them would be useless.

Before he would see Thanos or his messenger, the Allfather would open the Bi-Frost himself. The spokesman would usually ask him to conduct business in the middle of space, this thin alien. Odin planted his feet firmly, lifting his shoulders. “We cannot destroy an entire realm while the Tesseract awakens.” The messenger lifted his rock-like head, tilting it as if what the Allfather had said was confusing. He added on, “It would be foolish; surely Thanos knows the risk.” 

Something about this felt embarrassing, but he didn’t know why. 

The Other grinned in a nauseating manner. “Yesss,” the Other purred, lifting up one of his six fingers. Unbeknownst to Odin, or the rest of them, but Time Herself had sent a different Other to this task. This one was tailored to Odin’s fears, Odin’s intimidations. This Other was a cobra with an oil-coated tongue like Loki’s. “But my massster does not wish to demolish Midgard. He wishes to capture the stonesss… make the Universe right…”

“I need your armies to whip Midgard into obedience. Once I know that is done, the Tesseract and the Mind Stone will be his,” Odin pressed. He stepped closer to the monster, lifting his chin up high to intimidate the hooded creature. There was a slight recoil in the other being’s stature, but not as much as the Allfather had wished.

“The Chitauri can —,” the worm hissed, breathing heavily under his hood like a nasty, sickly man. Odin cut him off.

“The Chitauri can do nothing but help your master under my command, can they not?” He glared into the darkness, drawing a deep breath to steady his temper. “Show me what other stones I shall search for.”

Hesitantly, the snake-like being flexed his large hands, two holograms of the Stones emerging from the black of space. “The Tesssseract and the Eye of Agamotto are awaiting you, Allfather… Thanosss will reward you greatly.”

Odin gave a swift nod. “And the Scepter?”

“The staff will be yoursss once you’re flexible, Allfather,” said he. “You will ussse it — ”

“No. Absolutely not,” Odin protested firmly. “I will not use it. My youngest boy, he’ll wield the Scepter.”

“Your oldessst boy, then? What about him?” the creature demanded. 

“Prince Thor? He had the most important part in my plan,” Odin said quietly, his lip curling above his teeth. “Thor will distract the Midgardians.”

THE AVENGERS

The morning of his wedding was far too surreal to exist, in his opinion. Bustling about, screaming and crying women all around her, her mother even sending her a congratulations and an apology! She was going to be crowned a queen, but all too soon. Loki never thought Sif would ever get married; not in a hundred thousand years.

Sif wasn’t the type to wonder and daydream about being a bride to some obnoxious man. She wasn’t the type to daydream about getting married to anyone, much less to him. But, it didn’t mean he wasn’t looking forward to it all the same.

As the hour of marching closed in, her maids finally gave her some space; she was allowed to fix and touch up her own clothing and makeup in solitude. Or so she thought. Loki had been waiting by the door for his chance the whole morning. Mother really hadn’t been joking when she said weddings can take hours, he thought with his brows raised up high.

Sif gasped in surprise as his arms gently wrapped themselves around her tiny, delicately sculpted, strong shoulders, disrupting her alone time from the servants who had been frantically forcing her into the wedding dress. “What are you — ?” 

“Shhh,” a soft voice said, burying a nose into the back of her neck. The bride-to-be saw her fiancé’s green-blue eyes stare back at her through the mirror. Her brown stones rolled in exasperation. “I’m not supposed to be here.”

“No! You’re not,” she told him reproachfully. Sif relaxed in his arms, bringing them down to her midriff so she could move her own. He helped her with whatever she reached for, both of them not quite noticing. “You know, it is bad luck. Do you wish to doom our marriage, Loki, breaking the rule?” 

Loki chuckled sweetly, rocking them. He took his time lifting his head up and resting his chin in the dip of her neck, trying to memorize the exact aroma of her perfume. “I think that rule applies if you’re marrying for feelings, love. This is an arranged marriage in the guise of a romantic one.”

“I would think you’d care less about cheating that rule, seeing that we’re not marrying for romance,” Sif scoffed. She put the nicest earrings she owned through her lobes as she spoke. Loki tightened his grip around her waist. “Where will you be going during our ‘honeymoon,’ anyhow?”

“I’ll be on Midgard, I’m afraid,” he answered, kissing her temple as he stood up. “Help me with my armor; my butler got it crooked and wouldn’t let me fix it. I think he utterly destroyed it, in my opinion.”

“You must promise me that you’ll come back,” Sif told her husband-to-be, fixing his helmet and breastplate securely. Her hair was up high in a Dutch crown braid, small flowers weaved through the strands that complimented her eyes. Her mouth was downturned in a small pout, as well as a worried — although heavily denied — crease sat between her eyebrows. Her dress was half-sleeved and floor-length, a small train about a foot behind her. He hadn’t seen ochre so perfectly on anyone but Sif. Loki felt his heart throb. “I can’t be without you for long; the palace gets too quiet, now.”

“It’s just a trip down to Midgard to see Stephen and Darcy. Is this a declaration of love, my lady?” Loki teased lightly. He was trying his hardest to drink her in, grasp onto a memory of her before he went to revisit a place where he had torn his life apart. Well, the time. Sif was the only person (besides Thor) he could trust wholeheartedly — he wanted to keep her to himself for a little while longer. 

After Odin had stormed through the halls to chide Loki and Thor after his long sleep, the men had offered up their proposal. There was nothing to suggest the two of them were incapable, especially after Loki had truly kept Asgard safe while Thor had kept Midgard safe. They were both capable of the burden, so Odin couldn’t disagree. Of course, Odin didn’t want to hear Loki’s argument. Since his wake, he had been on edge about almost everything. The king had only addressed the eldest prince. 

“Are you sure this is what you want, Thor?”

Thor gave a hearty nod. “It’s hard to be a good man and be a good king. Why not have us split the weight?”

After asking and asking and asking and asking, on top of Frigga presenting her loophole, they came to an agreement. He seemed to finally give in after Thor said something about the dual kingship ensuring the realm’s safety. After the guarantee, Thor went out to spread the word to all of Asgard and Loki and Sif told Odin they wanted to be married.

So now, here they were. Loki was sharing his life with someone he adored. He was standing in front of a woman who he trusted with his heart and soul. And speaking of his soul… in the months that passed, Sif had really grown on him. 

“You don’t get a declaration of love,” Sif scolded, finishing her inspection. “We aren’t in love, Loki. We’re friends. That’s all, however unfortunate it is to admit that my days will be rather lonely without you.” She set her hands on his shoulders. Loki gave her pleading eyes, which resulted in an eye roll and a gentle brush to the cheek. “My King Loki, the only man that could make me even close to loving again. My best friend… ironically. There. Are you happy? Has your royal ego been stroked?”

Loki beamed, his chest swelling with pride over the brilliance of her sarcastic comments. “Oh, very, Queen Sif.” He tacked on the new position with a hint of humor. Neither of them had gotten used to their new status as king and queen, husband and wife, even though they hadn’t officially received the names yet. Sif recoiled drastically at the label, shuddering in Loki’s embrace. 

“You’re ruining the moment.”

“You’re going to miss Thor come up to Asgard,” Loki whispered, fixing up Sif’s dress one last time. He let his hands linger on her waist.

The lady looked down at their feet, then back into the prince’s eyes. “He is aware he’s coming to our wedding as well as our collective coronation, isn’t he?”

“Oh. About that, dearest heart.” Loki smiled nervously, a laugh bubbling up that he couldn’t suppress. Thor hadn’t been told. He had no idea about their engagement. Sif frowned, pulling away from him with dismay.

“Loki,” she warned. 

The prince paled at once, fearing for his life. “I may have forgotten — ”

“You left it out?”

“ — may have left out the wedding bit.”

Sif growled in frustration. “Loki Odinson, I will kill you!” She pushed him gently, and he let her. He completely agreed and understood why she was angry. “Why didn’t you? He’s your brother!”

He took her hands quickly, scrambling to calm her rage. He noticed instantly how small her hands were compared to his, but he didn’t have time to worry about that. She was going to blow. “I didn’t know how to tell him! He had romantic feelings for you in the past, I didn’t want to create a rift in the family or the timeline so soon, so I figured I would tell him when he arrived!”

“You’re lucky you’re heading to Midgard for the honeymoon or so help me — !”

He pressed his finger to her lips. “He’s coming to the wedding. He promised he would be on time. He hasn’t been excluded, my darling.”

“Don’t call me your darling!”

He held her face with both of his hands. “I’ll be the first to greet him — you’ll hear his reaction from across Asgard.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Sif said in a low tone. He gave a hearty swallow and stepped back.

“Till the ceremony.”

“Until then,” she huffed. Loki kissed her cheek, careful not to smudge anything about her fragile paint. After that, he scrambled out the door to find his brother. 

Thor was standing at the foot of the base S.H.I.E.L.D. had told him to be. It had been an entire year since he had seen Darcy, with no way to contact her other than through the occasional letter sent by a magical raven. Throughout their separation, she had joined S.H.I.E.L.D. along with Erik Selvig and Jane Foster, flying through ranks like “shots through a barrel.” 

It’s not as fun without you, but hopefully we’ll see each other soon, she wrote back in sloppy yet endearing handwriting. It was almost loopy, but still spiky. So much of her was within each word she chose, too. No normal human being would describe S.H.I.E.L.D. as “fun.” 

Only Darcy would do that. It made his lips tug into a smile.

His father didn’t approve of him seeing a mortal, and Loki had been avoiding him to spend time with Sif, so for the first time in what felt like twenty years, Thor had either been sitting with his mother and helping her sew or fighting and ending wars faster than any prince before. He should have felt accomplished, but he felt as if he hadn’t done enough. He hadn’t seen the girl he adored, he had yet to meet the friends that — before he had been whisked through time — he felt so close to. Now he was just a stranger to Stark, Banner, Steve, Nat, and Barton. 

In the last twelve months, Thor was preparing for a coronation, barely seeing his brother, becoming a war hero, and falling deeply in love with Darcy Lewis. 

“Darcy was the key” was what people had said to him for days the last time he had seen her sweet face. Of course, he didn’t know if she was actually the key of if she was what changed him, and therefore, changed everything else. She was strong, she was opinionated. She believed in having a happy ending. But he didn’t want to keep telling her she was the hero if that was never going to happen. 

Darcy was mortal. Things happened. He couldn’t lose her. 

How could she possibly be the means to an end and the reason a trillions-death tragedy was prevented? She was beyond capable of so many things, but even Thor wasn’t ready to stop something as big as that. If it hadn’t — 

“Thor! Thor, there you are. Come to Asgard immediately or Sif is going to have a breakdown,” Loki chattered, the panic infused with his voice sending a literal shock up Thor’s spine. “If I miss my wedding because you’re late, I may just end up missing my head or my scalp. Depending on what my bride feels.”

Thor whipped around. “…bride? You’re getting married? To whom?” His airway tightened, his body buzzing with maddened electricity. “Who is she? Why haven’t you told me about a wedding?”

“Thor, it wasn’t that easy,” Loki laughed gently, but the situation was far from gentle. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.

“LOKI!” Thor set down Mjölnir and grabbed a rock to hurl. Loki winced and ducked out of the way. “TELL ME.”

“Sif! I’m marrying Sif. Mother knew the whole time, she suggested it!” He lifted his arms above his face. “I’m not in love wi — THOR, STOP THROWING THINGS AT ME, I’LL LOSE PROJECTION! — I’m not in love with Sif! It’s nothing but a way to ensure her position as Captain of the Guard!”

“YOU SAID NOTHING,” Thor roared. He was furious, although the anger subsided and turned into irritation as he forced hurricanes out of his lungs. He lifted his hammer again. “Loki, how can I trust you if you don’t speak to me?”

“I know! I’m sorry!” Loki apologized. “I just wanted to tell you before you walked in and saw Sif and I exchange our vows.” His image flickered as he took a deep breath. “Whatever you’re waiting for, you should be on Asgard when it happens, brother. I should hate to see anything happen to you without being there to prevent it.”

Thor sighed. “It is our coronation, too; is it not? We should both be there. Together.” He looked out onto the base, then down at the letter he had received from Darcy a few months before. Her loopy handwriting. Her silly little words. Right from the mind of her. He couldn’t just leave… could he? 

“Come see me when 2012 hits. I’ll be waiting :)”

He pressed his lips together and tried to sigh away his quickening heartbeat. She would just have to wait a little longer, but she wouldn’t wait forever.

“Brother,” Loki pleaded. “You know Father might not be true to his word… I need this from you. Please. Forget the girl for a moment… ”  

Thor stuffed the letter into his pocket. “We have to return here, you know.”

“I know.”

Looking up into the sky, Thor called down Heimdall’s power. With a rush, he was gone. He was learning new things every day. He was going to have to get used to being surprised.

Strange sat with a Mister Nicholas J. Fury in a dark room, arms folded neatly over a blue sweater and light green scrubs. He had been pulled from the hospital when Thor had stopped by; their plan to save the world was going smoothly, but they didn’t need to invade Midgard, apparently. When Stephen asked why, the look in Thor’s eyes wasn’t quite the same as anything the doctor had seen before. He only answered with a single phrase: “I have it under control.”

“Now, Doctor Strange,” Fury said lowly, sitting down at the reflective table that was the same color as the walls, “before I kill you for even daring to step inside a top-secret ground base that you shouldn’t even know about, explain why you’re here.”

Stephen didn’t cower or back down like he knew Fury wanted. He just kept eye contact. “I would like to join the Avengers Initiative.”

“Blunt.” The director’s one eye narrowed. He folded his hands in front of him. “Again; you shouldn’t know about that.” He swept a look over the wizard. “That’s highly sensitive information. Not even Stark knows everything about it.”

“I know anyway. So, Mr. Fury,” Stephen continued. “The Avengers Initiative. I want to join.”

“You can’t join.” He stood up from his seat, both hands pressing down hard against the table’s surface. “How do you know about the Avengers Initiative?” 

“I’m not asking,” he said, unfolding his arms and setting them on the table, too. He didn’t stand. “I’m with you.” 

There was a scoff from the big man. Fury leaned forward while Strange sat back. “You’re not with us, doctor. In fact, you’re nothing more than a security threat at the moment. So I’ll ask again: how do you know about the Avengers Initiative?”

“I understand that you don’t trust me, Mr. Fury, but think of Ms. Danvers for a moment.” Strange grinned as he saw the tight-jawed, bold, stone of a man turn to crumbling sand. “What would she think if she knew that you were refusing someone who could help you? Right now, at this very moment, doom is coming. Earth is going to be attacked by forces even men like me can’t stop; Carol won’t come save us.”

“How do you know about — ?”

“Easy. I simply read the files.” He shrugged.

“There are no files!”

“I’ll tell the truth if you let me join. I’ll tell you everything I know; I don’t want to come off as arrogant like Tony Stark, but I would call myself highly intelligent.” He clicked his heels against the legs of the chair. 

Fury rolled his eye. “You can’t join,” he snapped. “Stark wasn’t even a good choice.”

“Why not?” Stephen already knew the answer, but it couldn’t have been the permanent playout. It just didn’t make sense. There had to be an Avengers Initiative. There were the Avengers once, right?

“You can’t join,” Fury said, “because the Avengers Initiative has been outvoted. It isn’t happening. You can’t join something that doesn’t exist.” Fury slapped his hand against the table. “Tell me how you know about it!”

“I know everything, director. I know exactly who will join, who will quit, who will even die for the team,” Stephen said seriously. He put on his ring. “One more thing: I’m not just any neurosurgeon, director. I’m something much, much more; something far beyond what you could even dream. Carol Danvers can’t hold a candle to what I do.”

Fury was shaking with… well, with fury. “And what is it that you do, doctor?” he growled quietly.

Strange looked down at his new watch. He had somewhere to be. “In the words of an old friend… ‘You’re looking at life through a keyhole.’ You can’t possibly imagine what that Tesseract does, but then again” — Stephen opened a portal behind himself, walking through it — “neither could I. When you need me, just tell Darcy Lewis. See you.” 

The last thing he saw before shutting the portal was Fury’s shocked expression.

Thor stomped through the corridors down into the throne room. Maids giggled and guards huzzahed. Somewhere, he had passed Fandral crying in a corner. “Where is my weasel of a brother?” he cried out. He turned in circles, but eventually, a hand pressed against his chest to stop him. Loki’s fresh, eerily content face gave an apologetic smile. Thor wondered if he should feel on edge. Loki never smiled like that.

“Either you lied about not being in love or something is drastically wrong,” Thor mumbled. Loki shook his head.

“For all intents and purposes, I’m not,” he sighed. “Also, I hate to ask this of you, brother, but will you be my best man?”

His eyes widened. “Are you mad, Loki? You never told me about your entire wedding; I can’t stand up there unprepared!”

“Just answer the question.”

“Of course!”

“I can’t thank you enough.” Loki hugged him tightly. Thor clapped his back, rocking his brother. “Lie if you must, but this is the most important day in our lives. You have no idea.”

“You’re keeping me from my Darcy,” he chided through a grin he couldn’t suppress. “Otherwise I might agree with you.”

Loki laughed, shaking his head with joy. “I’ll send you down to her immediately, brother mine. If only it was safe to take her here it would make the day all the better.” He pulled away from the older brother. “Let’s go meet my bride, shall we?”

“I’m only coming because this is Sif’s wedding day, you know,” Thor said. They walked down to the common area. “You kept this from me. How could you?” Loki made a face, wrinkling his nose. Thor exhaled through his teeth. “You know, now that I look back, she even made some comments about it.” 

“I didn’t want to lose her before I caught her,” Loki mumbled. “She loved you at one point. I didn’t want you to take her from me.”

“So… you’re saying you do love her, then.” Thor looked at Loki.

“It wouldn’t benefit anything to deny it or confirm it, Thor,” he said. “Besides, our worry isn’t about my romantic feelings. It’s currently how Darcy fits in with the prevention of tragedy. How will we keep the stones from falling into Thanos’s hands and bring the Avengers together?”

“I’ve been wondering the same,” he replied. “I don’t want to keep telling her she’s important if she doesn’t do anything but provide support. She deserves more than to be led on or kept on a hook. Sif will be a queen, yes, but she could have been in her own right as well.” He wiped his face. “That’s what I want for Darcy. She wouldn’t want me to give everything to her in the first place.”

Loki pat his shoulder. “Right on, brother.” He turned, seeing Sif run their way. His face lit up. Thor almost winced. It was difficult seeing this trickster be so soft toward a woman made out of leather. Then again, Loki had hardly been soft his entire life. All of this was uncomfortable.

“Loki! Thor! Have you told him, yet?” Sif asked, frowning at him. The lady turned toward Thor. “Has he told you, yet?”

“Yes, Sif,” he said, sour and humorous at the same time. “Congratulations. I’m happy for you.”

“Don’t be happy, yet. I’m not part of the royal family until after I deliver my vows.”

“Deliver them quickly,” Thor advised. “Father is on edge more than ever.”

Sif took each prince by the hand. “Then we better get moving. Loki’s told me about your little time fiasco, and if this helps, I’m willing. Onward, boys!”

Chapter Text

Personnel were running wild, to and fro through the base. N.A.S.A. employees, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and other government bureaucrats rushing to evacuate. Nick had waited for months to find out how to use the Tesseract, but he wasn’t going to lose anyone over a power source tonight. “Agent Lewis. Agent Hill. Come with me,” Fury ordered. 

“Sir, the evacuation — ,” Hill tried, but Fury turned around. 

“Maria, I want every piece of Phase Two packed up and gone,” he told her. Darcy was looking about, obviously lost in the commotion. She was looking for someone; why else would she be trying to stand on her toes and see over the ocean of black suits and bullet-proof jackets? Nick sighed. “Agent Lewis! Come with me!”

The girl jumped. “Coming, sir!” She rushed to his side, flushed with embarrassment. Fury sniffed in disdain. Rookies.

“You’ve heard about the Tesseract’s power fluctuating, haven’t you?” he asked her as they walked down into the base. Darcy nodded. 

“Yeah. It was kind of a shock to hear about someone tampering with it. Do we have any idea how that happened?” 

“No clue, yet. That’s why we’re going to ask Doctor Selvig.” He opened the door down to the lab. “Part of me hopes it was that jerk from N.A.S.A., but somehow I feel like I already know who did it.”

“Oh, it definitely wasn’t the N.A.S.A. guy,” Agent Lewis assured him. She shoved her hands in her pockets, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “He’s a few slices short of a loaf, so it couldn’t have been him. Who do you think is responsible?”

“Someone who said you knew him. A man named Doctor Strange,” Fury said, seriousness riddled through his voice like the plague. Darcy Lewis stopped, then started giggling. “Why is that funny?”

“Him? No way! He wouldn’t endanger millions of people for the Tesseract!” she laughed. She pushed her glasses farther up her nose. “Maybe to get a taxi, but not for the Cube.” Her little joke left a smile on her face. “Um, sorry. He wouldn’t hurt anyone, Mr. Director, sir.”

“You’re certain?” 

“Of course I am.” Darcy picked up her feet a little more. The concrete floor clapped with every step she took. “He saved Thor last year and almost killed himself driving just to protect Earth.”

Fury arched a big eyebrow. “Whatever you say, kid.”

The Tesseract’s bright glow was visible from the hallway they passed through, right before they saw the contents of the lab. Erik Selvig was tinkering about with the frame the Cube sat in, worried creases set about his face. 

“Talk to me, doctor,” Fury demanded. Erik poked his head up, sighing in relief. 

“The Tesseract, director…,” he started slowly. “The Tesseract is misbehaving.”

The one-eyed nightmare sucked his teeth. “Is that supposed to be funny?”

“No, sir.” Erik rubbed his hands like they were clammy. They most likely were. Things in the lab were growing taught and fearful. Most of the people in the compound hadn’t ever dealt with aliens. “She’s not only active, she’s… behaving.” The scientist shrugged helplessly.

“That’s frightening,” Darcy murmured, clearing her throat. “Where’s Jane?”

“Jane’s trying to figure out how to reduce the effects of an explosion,” Erik replied quickly, his eyes bouncing left and right and all over the dark walls of the compound. 

“I assume you pulled the plug.” Fury scoped the area. “Be prepared for whatever is about to happen, doctor.” He shook his head, some asinine idea of penance dropping in the back of his brain. “Harvesting energy from space…”

“Where’s Barton?” Agent Lewis asked. 

Erik pointed up at the ceiling, towards the rafters. Even in his stressed state, he managed to muster up a grin. “Getting a bird’s-eye view, I believe.” 

Darcy pressed her lips together and signed up toward the rafters for Clint to come down. The archer nodded, making his way down to them. “I think we should get Stark, Fury. This seems like an Iron Man problem.”

“Oh, we don’t have a problem, yet, Agent Lewis.” Erik tucked his hands under his arms, twirling a pen between his fingers. The three of them watched Clint head their way. 

Darcy pointed to her ear, signalling for Hawkeye to turn on his hearing aid. He gave a thumb’s up. “Well, when we do,” she emphasised, turning her head to Selvig, “Tony Stark would be perfect.”

The Tesseract shuddered with a new surge of power. They all froze, no eyes moving from the Cube. She really was behaving…

Clint tapped Darcy on the shoulder. She turned around. He clicked on his hearing aid. “What’d you guys need?” he asked politely. 

“What do you suppose is making her act like that?” Selvig mumbled. 

“Do you think it could be outside tampering?” Fury queried. Eyes didn’t leave the alien object. 

“If there was any tampering, sir, it wasn’t at this end.” Hawkeye pulled an arrow out of his quiver, playing with the tip. No one noticed, but the Tesseract slowly began to glow brighter.  

Fury clenched his jaw. “‘At this end’?”

Clint shrugged, waving his arm in gesture toward the wired-up box without looking at it more than once. “Doors open from both sides.”

A high whine pricked ears, but Fury didn’t seem fazed, yet. “No one is going to come — ”

“Get down!” Darcy yelled. They hit the floor just in time. 

Shooting out of the Tesseract, a bright blue gleam hit the back wall. It spread along the compound like an endless wave crashing against lines or rocks. The pressure from the miniature explosion caused a wind to roll in, ruffling hair and blowing jackets. 

Kneeling in the remaining mist, a ruffled mess pushed his curly hair back with a ringed hand. A maniacal laugh echoed through the room. Blue eyes scanned the scientists and agents with a very mischievous glint that Darcy immediately recognized. “Oh, this is better than before…” He stood, straightened his back. He held out his spear. 

Loki turned toward the Tesseract. He smirked, pointing his spear. “I am Loki, King of Asgard and Husband of — ”

“Loki! Brother of Thor!” Selvig cried, his face slack with awe. “You’re — ”

“Annoyed by you,” Loki grumbled. He looked about the compound. “How much leeway do I have?” His spear brightened. The prince — king? — turned his back and studied the portal. You could hear him say to himself, “I don’t even know how I did this before. It’s a miracle I managed at all.”

“Oh, my gosh,” Darcy whispered, gazing at all the magic around them. She didn’t know the Tesseract would do that, but it wasn’t a complete shock. It was Loki, after all. 

The god took his spear in hand once again. “I’ve come with glorious revelation. Your freedom — life’s great joy — is at stake. I’ve come as a warning.” He wet his lips, turning to meet as many gazes as possible. “My words are not to be taken lightly, little mortals.”

“You said you’ve come as a warning. A warning of what, exactly?” Barton pressed. He crooked one single finger. Soldiers readied their weapons. Darcy climbed to her feet. 

“Sir,” Fury called to the apparent stranger, “please put down the spear.”

“No,” Loki said firmly. “I will not. The armies of Asgard are coming; my wife will be at their helm to try and slow them, but even the most pure of heart cannot put their morals over their home and the lives of millions. I will take the Tesseract.”

“I don’t like where this is going,” Clint said quietly to Erik. The old man shook his head in agreement. 

If Thor’s brother is here… Where’s Thor? Darcy thought. 

Loki turned to the archer, gripping his scepter tightly to his own chest. “You have heart. Please try to understand that your home is going to be destroyed!” 

Clint reached on his back, pulling his bow out and extending it. “Are you threatening us, sir?”

Fury pulled the Tesseract out from its frame. “Agent Lewis, get that Doctor Strange — and the others on the list.” 

Darcy frowned at Loki with a silent apology. “Yes, director.” 

Fury began to make his way out. The door shut by itself, stopping the one-eyed man and the Tesseract. 

“Please don’t go,” he begged. “I still need that.” 

Soldiers clicked their safeties off. Loki was faster, shooting one of them down. If the soldier was dead, they were too far away to tell. Fury gaped. Darcy winced. Loki seemed to have an anguish in his eyes that she knew wouldn’t have been there if he had felt justified. Loki wasn’t the type of man to feel unnecessary remorse — she knew that from the brief time she had met him before.

“This doesn’t have to get any messier,” Fury tried again. He set the Tesseract in a shining briefcase. Darcy couldn’t see the inside, just how the Cube fit perfectly within. His knuckles paled from how tightly he held the case handle. “Please put down the spear.”

“Of course it does.” Loki strided forward, reaching out his hands desperately. “I’ve come too far for anything else.”

“We have no quarrel with your people.” Fury took a step back from the god. 

Loki’s face quickly bore a sour expression. “An ant has no quarrel with a boot! Now — please!”

“Fury,” Darcy called. The director didn’t face her, just staring at the new predicament. Loki turned toward her, grateful. She shook her head at him. Not yet. “Fury, I think we should listen.”

“Have you gone insane, Agent Lewis?”

There was a dangerous tension growing. Understandable between the five of them, but she could just see the strain on the ceiling. Her heart thumped, and a new sensation inside her bloomed. Everyone next to her winced. 

“I haven’t gone anything, but I think we’ll all go dead if we don’t leave. The roof is cracking!” she pointed out. 

The large blue cloud up above only got heavier. It was pulsing dangerously. The floors, beakers, and walls started shaking. The director looked at everyone and everything.

“Everyone out!” Fury ordered. 

Barton, Loki, and Selvig all looked up. Loki took Darcy’s hand. No one had much time, but the five of them managed to get in a car together. 

“Start the car, start the car!” Selvig panicked. He, Darcy, and Loki were in the backseat. Clint was in shotgun, his head out the window and a crossbow at the ready. Fury turned ignition. 

“Why are you here, Loki of Asgard?” Fury yelled over the engine.

“My brother and my wife are assembling armies to attack Midg —  Earth,” he answered, stumbling on his words. He shut his eyes, wetting his lips. “My brother will come to fight the armada with you, but I have to take the Tesseract before your planet gets wiped out. If I take it with me, the attack on your world would be stopped. Oh! And I need to speak with Stephen Strange immediately.”

They sped down the exit tunnel. Erik held onto his seat like he would fly out. Darcy was squeezing Loki’s hand desperately. The staff was laid across their laps, shaking and bouncing occasionally with the rest of them.

“Oh, hell no!” Fury looked back at them. “So you’re saying that as of now, we’re at war? Oh, shoot me in the head.”  

“Yes,” he said. “But before I can explain anything, I need Stephen Strange.”

Darcy was texting away, taking in as much as she could of the conversation. She sent a message to Phil Coulson, hopeful that they could verify the coming attack for everyone else. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Loki… but she knew others definitely wouldn’t. Get Stark; send him the Initiative. Find Stephen Strange. 

She looked out the window, watching the compound crumble. “Loki, you better have a great explanation,” she whispered. “Or I might leave your wife a widow.”

Tony Stark was feeling pretty good about himself. He was having a neurosurgeon take a peek at his arc reactor — someone had finally found a way to prevent any more flaws — and he was with Pepper (who wasn’t going to let him get away with anymore dying-to-death shenanigans, anyway). Whoever that Dr. Strange dude was, he could be annoying, sometimes, yeah, but he did his job better than Tony could have asked. It was like he was some kind of magician.

“So, how does it feel to be a genius?” he asked Miss Potts, kissing her strawberry blonde hair. He put an arm over her shoulder as she snuggled up close to him. They fell on the couch. 

“Well, I wouldn’t know, now would I?” she teased, resting her head on his shoulder. She handed him a glass of champagne.

He took the glass.“What do you mean? All this” — Tony gestured around the penthouse to signify the entirety of the tower — “came from you,” he reminded her, stretching his arms. They were sore from moving all that armor and moving things from inside the armor. Something about turning the power off and watching Stark Tower light up by itself was magical — like it was something that was meant to happen. He had the slight feeling that Stark Tower was going to be a part of something bigger, but probably not too big. 

“No, Tony; all this came from that,” Pepper smirked, tapping his arc reactor. He sighed. 

“Give yourself some credit. Please,” Tony begged. He took her hands and kissed them. “Stark Tower is your baby.” He thought for half a second. “Give yourself twelve percent of the credit.”

“Twelve percent?” she asked, laughing but still feigning irritation. Er, mostly.

“An argument can be made for fifteen,” the billionaire relented.

“Twelve percent? My baby?” she laughed. She took a drink from her champagne glass.

He pressed his forehead against the side of her head. He nuzzled her affectionately. “You know, I did do all the heavy lifting. Literally, I lifted the heavy things. And that security snafu? That was on you. My private elevator — ”

The dreaded machine itself chimed before he even got to bring up the sweaty workmen. Tony’s mouth twisted. He stood up. Why was his date night always ruined? Did he ever get to spend ten minutes alone with Pepper? Without a meeting, work, or something to interrupt them?

“Tony, where are you — ?”

“Who’s that at the door, Pep?” he questioned, impatient and irritated. This was supposed to be his night off. This was supposed to be their date. 

Together. 

Alone.

“I don’t know, Tony, I’ll have to let them in,” she responded calmly. Pepper walked over to greet their visitor, but the genius just sat and pouted for another thirty seconds. He crossed his arms like a child as he waited to see who had paid them a visit.

“Hi, Pepper,” a familiar voice came. Tony sighed. He couldn’t stay mad at him… 

“Phil! It’s so nice to see you,” Pepper laughed. “How have you been? What brings you here?” She brought Phil into the penthouse. He was carrying a computer in his hands, grinning shyly at Pep and the rest of the interior.

“I can’t stay,” he said. “But I brought some files. Something’s come up, Pepper.”

“Wha — Phil? We’re going on a first-name basis, now?” Tony demanded, rushing to intercept their untimely guest. “His name is ‘Agent’.” 

Phil held out a computer. “We need you to go over these as soon as possible.”

Tony sneered at it. “I don’t like being handed things.”

“I love being handed things,” Pepper countered, taking the computer and giving it to Tony. He snatched it, eyes never leaving the S.H.I.E.L.D. man. “Does this have anything to do with the Avengers Initiative?” Her face twisted for a tick, but then she grinned. “That I don’t know anything about,” she added on quickly.

“Yeah, the one I was too arrogant to join?” Tony scoffed, looking through all the files. He swiped through each different picture and video. He recognized Captain America, Bruce Banner and his Hulk, Clint Barton, Natasha, but there were two new people. One was Thor, who he had heard about in the news, but there was a weirdo in scrubs with nothing really going for him. He knew that weirdo! “Phil? So, uh, why’s this guy in the file?”

“Oh. That’s Doctor Stephen Strange,” Phil answered. “He’s a medical genius and a master of mystic arts.”

“Master of mystic arts?” A hysteric laugh slipped through his lips. His heart stopped as the reality set in. “The dude’s a wizard?”

Phil nodded. “Yeah.”

“He doesn’t look like one. No cape,” he said. “I could shoot him down easy.”

Coulson grinned knowingly, holding out a hand. “Stark, on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D., we would like you to join the Avengers Initiative.”

Chapter Text

“Alright, Loki of Asgard,” a gruff voice came through the door, “we got your Stephen Strange.” The voice sounded like Nicholas J. Fury’s, but it was without the anger and short temper. What did linger, however, was the suspicion and accusatory tone weaved within an impatient undercurrent. 

Stephen, somewhat nervous, scratched his shadowed face. It had been close to a year since he had seen Loki or Thor in person. It didn’t feel that long, nor did it feel that short, either. Almost an entire year had gone by since Thor killed Laufey. Almost an entire year had gone by since Darcy Lewis had influenced Time Herself. Through all the excitement of this adventure, this sit and wait, it chilled Stephen to the bone. Darcy was still important, but he wasn’t sure exactly how. This is like a Matrix situation, Stephen thought. 

He looked around for something else to take his attention for one moment. The clock up on the wall was broken; it hadn’t ticked the entire time the doctor had been there. It just made him uncomfortable. 

He flexed his fingers before opening the door gingerly, nerves from his elbows down feeling stiff with a dull ache. Something else, something else… And finally, suddenly, a voice hoisted him out of his sea of pensivity. “…come in, Doctor Strange.”

He stepped through the frame, closing the door before he really got his foot out. “Good evening. Morning, maybe. Hi.” He sat down next to Loki and Darcy. They were shoulder-to-shoulder, with Erik Selvig, Maria Hill, and an agent he didn’t recognize sitting opposite to them at the long, sleek wooden table. Strange knew it was silly to notice, but the table was expensive  —  black and exotic. The finish was polished like a gym floor without the sticky-glossy look. Director Fury was standing at the head of the table, hands spread shoulder-width apart. 

So S.H.I.E.L.D. had money.

S.H.I.E.L.D. was not to be trusted.

“The Cube?” he mumbled quickly to Loki.

The prince’s words were barely audible, certainly not loud enough for the wannabe pirate to hear. “Fury has it.”

Strange hummed. He fiddled with his fingernails. “I take it that you’re not leading the Chitauri, are you?” he continued. He didn’t dare move his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Loki duck his head and wipe his nose.

“I got married,” the god replied quietly. “It’s my father who’s trying to take the Cube, now.”

“We talked about — ,” Stephen tried, feeling his patience already chipping away. He hadn’t seen Loki or Thor in months, instead treating Tony to try and prevent reckless behavior in the future, but yet it seemed as if the princes were more reckless combined than anticipated. Strange hissed through gnashed teeth, “We talked about trying to maintain the same timeline.”

“Maybe I wanted to try and prevent Ragnarok,” Loki countered, a bit of snark slipping into his words. “Did you ever think about that? Perhaps your ‘looming threat’ could feel intimidated by kings of Asgard and leave us alone. I was supposed to be king, but that is an explanation best saved for later.” He used air quotations, rolling his eyes. The god scratched his chin, his finger presenting a pewter wedding band to solidify his argument, oh, he knew he was just making the doctor angry; Strange could feel it, too, bubbling up from a simmer to a boil.

“So you got married instead?” he asked. Loki opened his mouth to talk, but Stephen was faster. “You know that is the most important thing right now — ” 

“Whatever you two are really bickering about,” Fury warned, “you better get it resolved or forget about it. Right now we have to take care of this apparent war.”

“How? You’re just a huge organization with billions of dollars,” Stephen spat.

Fury pinched the bridge of his nose. “Keep your mouth shut, doctor, we don’t need your input right now.”

No input? “Pardon me for saying so, but you obviously do.” He crossed his arms and tucked his fingers near his torso. “Am I in or no?”

“You’re going to be part of the Avengers Initiative,” Darcy said, beaming. “Loki’s going to be with you, as well as Agent Barton, Agent Romanoff, Bruce Banner,” — Loki shuddered aloud — “Tony Stark, and Captain America.”

“Quite a team you have.”

“Thanks. When will Thor be here?”

“No clue,” Loki and Stephen chimed together.

Loki scratched at his palms and rubbed his fingers together. He sat up. “He’s trying to keep our father’s favor, at the moment. He doesn’t want to lose the advantage we have; with the rate of Asgard’s war development, it could be today, tonight, or even overmorrow.” 

“Then assemble the team,” Fury said. “Agent Lewis, do what you do best. Strange, don’t get on my nerves, and Loki — ”

“You’re not in charge of me.” He sat up and stuck his thumbs in his leather lapel. “My wife is expecting me to come back whole. I trust you know how to do that?”

“Whatever.” Fury rolled his eye. “Lewis. Get only the people on that list. No one else. Tell Romanoff and Barton to close in if necessary.”

“Of course,” Darcy answered. She stood up, tapping Loki and Stephen. “Come on. No one wants war, guys. I feel like getting a popsicle mad at us.” 

“What’s a popsicle?” Loki mumbled. 

“Is there any reason you have asked me here?” 

Frigga hung her head. Sif looked anywhere but him, twisting the new ring ’round her finger. 

She was supposed to have been crowned yesterday. It never happened. Odin never even stepped into the throne room to officiate. Frigga had to do the wedding, but alas — this was all she could do. No one saw even a hair of the Allfather until near midnight.

That was the call to war.  

“You could dance around the reason for eons, you know.” Thor sat down at the table next to his new sister in law and his mother. His heart felt heavy in its cage, beating slowly with a grief he couldn’t describe. The table was quiet. His brother almost got married without telling him, which wasn’t too much of a surprise, but he couldn’t believe that it was his own mother and Sif who had kept it from him too. “Do not think that I am going to let your deception go just because Father wishes for war.”

Frigga was the first one to speak up. Sif jumped when she did. “We didn’t intentionally — ”

“You didn’t intentionally tell me, either, did you?” He glared. He never glared at his mother. 

Frigga sighed heavily. “I suggested they marry; be mad at me.”

“I will be. But for now, we have to work together to save the mortals.”

“Why would the Allfather want to wage war on an innocent realm in the first place?” Sif asked. “Their resources aren’t beneficial to us. They’re not ready to fight fairly with us.”

“In the past, he colonized whether or not there was a fair fight,” Frigga said reluctantly. “But I’ll agree with you, Sif. War straight away is… quite unlike him.” She swallowed.

Thor heaved a heavy sigh, shaking his head. He ran fingers through his hair, but nothing eased the impending sense of catastrophe. He missed Darcy’s wisecracks. They would have lightened the mood by thousands of pounds. “Father’s past is not going to be Asgard’s future,” he said, although more for himself than for the queen or the Captain of the Guard. “Cannot we get a court physician to declare him unfit to rule?”

Sif shook her head. “None would dare risk their life over words, Thor. the Allfather — ” She stopped, wetting her lips. “ — Odin doesn’t care that he’s going mad, either. He’s spiraling out of control.”

“Then they’re all cowards.” He stood up, throwing whatever his hand could reach. An empty golden goblet flew against the wall, causing Frigga to wince. “He can’t just expect us to lead the armies onto Earth! Loki’s down there, my Darcy is down there, and innocents are down there! I would be worried about Stephen Strange but the Norns know his strengths have secrets beyond the fabric of time.”

“You call it Earth,” Frigga noticed. Her eyebrows raised. “You used to call it Midgard. How much did you grow while you were away?”

“Away from where?” he snapped, momentarily forgetting his mother already knew about Time being meddled with. His mind was filled with dread. He felt like he was around that Maximoff girl… nightmares filling his brain and suffocating any remaining hope… She wouldn’t even be an Avenger, would she?

The armies of Asgard were coming. Somehow, he felt as if it were his fault. Futures would be destroyed, houses would be demolished, and his conscious would never be cleared. 

“Do I really have to clarify, Thor? We all know what I meant. What did you go through, darling?” Her eyes gave away the concern in her soul, the worry she possessed only for her children.

“Loki died,” he started, “but not really. Twice. He fell from the Bi-Frost the first time and was dying in my arms the second. Many of my friends fell in battle. I watched many innocents lose their lives because of me. What do you think I have gone through? I was a fool not even a year ago when you last saw me, but to me, it was almost five years ago that I watched my mother die and two since my father died. Not to mention that I have a sister.” Frigga pulled a face of shock, like she had no idea he knew. Thor didn’t want to get into anything about Hela, yet. “That universe has been written over. It no longer exists anywhere except me, Loki, and a mortal man.” He sat down, eyes burning. “What do you think I have gone through, Mother?”

Thor had always felt so close to his mother, but within the past year, he had barely seen her. He didn’t want to. He was far from the boy who would kiss his mother every morning or ask her what doublet would go best with his hair. He didn’t even like the same things that he had in his original 2011. He was different. What mother would love a stranger? 

Frigga sighed deeply, eyes shining and colored red. “Oh, my son, I wish I could comfort you by saying I understand, but… I don’t.” The queen released a shuddering sigh. Thor Sif set a hand on top of hers, then put the other on Thor’s shoulder. 

“We’re all together, now. We have to do our best to minimize the damages.” The newlywed rested her head against the Allmother, slipping her hand into the thunder god’s. “Loki has told me enough… I know he’ll come back safely. If he’s with your Darcy and that magician, what could go wrong?”

“Have you met my father?” Thor asked. “Everything could go wrong. With the powers of the Allfather, he could simply will Earth to be destroyed. Instead he wants to subjugate humanity. When was the last time he wanted that?”

Frigga shook her head, realizing how insane Odin could possibly be. “The last time was over a thousand years ago. He… He thought against it at the last moment.” By her hesitation, Thor knew she was talking about Hela. He didn’t push it. He didn’t want to kill his sister again  —  he didn’t know if he had the strength. He knew he definitely couldn’t ask anymore questions at the moment. 

“We need to contact Loki on Earth. Stall the armies all you can, Sif.” Thor made eye contact with the captain, finally sitting back at the table. Frigga smiled at them both. 

“Loki will love you two so much more for helping him, dears.” She kissed their heads. For a moment, the marching drums of war seemed eons away. “Gather Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun. They’ll be leading the sectors, won’t they?”

“Yes,” Sif said. “The men will be informed sooner or later, but they have no quarrel with Midgard as far as I know. Thor, you’ll need to meet Lady Darcy once more.”

“And you? What will you do?” Thor asked. Usually, Sif would talk about her own agenda or her role first. 

Sif gave a forced, wary smile. She set her hand on her hips. “I’ve been sick recently. I’ll be monitoring everything from here — try my best to train new soldiers and teach them the code.”

“Well, my Queen,” Thor half-joked, “try to speed up the process. Lives depend on it.”

If only they knew. 

Steven Grant Rogers sat on a bench, unwrapping aching hands. One, two, three, four, five. Five loops of linen gone. Days, weeks, years, all gone and passed. Peggy missed a dance. He missed seventy years of his life. Eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen. Nothing had changed about him, but everything else had. He was still angry about Nazis, about his girl, about his friends who had fallen and the innocents that were slaughtered. Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four. He lost everything because of a war.

Yet, somehow, he didn’t regret a single thing. Instead, he felt something new. He wasn’t used to the sense of danger the future brought. He wasn’t used to the fear. He didn’t trust the glowing lights and boxes pressed into his hands; he didn’t know if he would ever stop expecting the worst from the new automobiles, but yet, at the same time, Steve liked it. He couldn’t get enough of it.

That fueled him, now. Maybe it was temporary, maybe not, but he had nothing left but the next adventure and the next chance to help someone innocent. 

The innards of the punching bag were spilled across the cement floor. His knees were sore from the day’s boredom, along with his arms and his back. His neck was cold from sweat. He broke the bag. This was the fifth this week. With shining, red knuckles and a sad sigh, he grabbed the broken sandbag and dragged it over to the corner of the basement of a boxing gym that he was seeing more than his own home. 

Home. 

Funny word. Home wasn’t anywhere in Brooklyn, nowhere in New York City. Home was the thumping heart in his chest that never seemed to slow down; it was the adrenaline high he could get from punching a punching bag before looking to actually take in this new United States. Home was the thrill, now, rather than any certain place.

“You’ll get scars if you keep up that performance,” a cool voice said from behind him. Steve straightened, wiping his face. He didn’t turn to face the woman, so her words continued. “Your hands will get busted up, your face will get crusty from the sweat… not good, Cap.”

“Not to be rude, ma’am, but how did you get in here?” he asked, grabbing a towel, dabbed at his skin. “This is private property.”

“You actually bought this gym?” the woman asked, standing… well, she wasn’t alone. Two dark-haired, tall men stood together, hovering around her protectively. The girl herself had square glasses, a sleek overcoat, and platform heels with grey socks. She had a hat on over her hair and a scarf made out of yarn. “Wow. I heard you’d bought some big property, but I thought it’d be a house, ya know? Like a big, nice house. My boyfriend has a reallllly big house.” The girl elbowed the man to her right. “I get to see it soon, right?”

Boyfriend? The man to her right didn’t look like her type… but what did an old man like Steve know? The man to the right was dressed like a clown: gold, green, and black leather clothes that looked like some wacky suit. His greasy hair made him look like the personification of a scab. Somehow, despite his odd appearance, he was (what he could guess from the pictures back in his Brooklyn) handsome. The other man had a scraggly face, scrubs, and running shoes that were more than worn out. His eyes had smile lines but without the smile. 

“Who are you guys?” he asked, exhaling loudly. He tossed his towel onto the bench. “What do you want? Did Fury send you?”

“Yeah, he did,” the woman said with a smirk. She pushed up her glasses and stepped forward with an extended hand. Steve took it. With a firm, strong grip, she shook it and released without lingering. “I’m Agent Darcy Lewis, political scientist, astrophysicist-in-training, and professional diplomat. These are my associates, Loki of Asgard, God of Mischief and Lies, sorcerer, and Doctor Stephen Strange, PhD and MD, sorcerer. Also, thanks for not doing the weird lobster handshake old men do.”

Steve’s days were getting wilder and wilder. “Uh, you’re welcome. What does Fury want? He knows I’m not… you know.”

“He wants you to become Earth’s mightiest hero and protect its citizens from the oncoming threat of Asgard’s armies. Led by my boyfriend, ironically.” She hmphed with satisfaction. “Loki’s brother, Thor.”

“The guy who caused the crater in New Mexico?”

“Yeah, he’s a peach. Stephen, what else are we going up against?”

The man in scrubs cleared his throat. “Time is interfering with the situation. We have to act quickly, before She can override any changes that we’ve made. If we don’t, then Earth could fall if the Avengers aren’t brought together and Odin isn’t defeated.” He ran his fingernails along his jawline. “This battle is a little more than what the Captain is used to, I’m sure, but if he can’t do it…”

“I’ll do it,” Steve said before he could tell his mouth to say “no.” “I’ll do it. What do I need?”

“Nothing more than what you already have,” Darcy said. She handed him a green manilla file, holding herself straight as she stepped back with the other men she had brought. “I’ll see you soon, Captain Rogers.”

“…See you soon, Agent Lewis.”

Natasha Romanoff didn’t want to see a man who could crush her like… like a bug. Standing inside an abandoned hut with nothing but an advanced ASP pistol behind her dress didn’t exactly make her feel much safer, either. Darkness had fallen hours ago. She had been here since sunset. 

How long could she wait before she started freaking out?

There were many things she wasn’t afraid of, and many more things that terrified her to the bone. She didn’t want to go out without a fight. She was nervous; she would be the bigger woman and admit it. She had done dangerous jobs before, worse than this, but she had never fought someone who could single-handedly take down an entire city.

Safe to say, Nat didn’t want to be some smear on the wall.

“Come on,” she said quietly to herself. “He’ll be here any second. Stay calm.” She rolled neck, flexed her fingers. The air was humid, yet her digits were cold. Her neck was sweating, but her blood was chilled. How did you calm the personification of anger? What happened if this Bruce Banner lost control?

So many run-ins with the incredible Hulk had led to the following information about it: It was bullet-proof. It was as large as a BMW SUV on its hind wheels. Its jumping range was near sixteen-thousand feet in one bound, but only radially. Laterally, it was four-hundred feet. With one punch, it could kill a man. If Nat didn’t play her cards right, she could end up dead.

How do you keep someone calm if you don’t know them?

Orders had been made to have as much firepower outside the hut as possible. If Nat ended up as some smear, at least there would be a wounded or dead Hulk instead of an alive one. If this Doctor Jekyll lost all control of his Hyde, she felt comfort by knowing she could be one of the only casualties instead of the start of them.

Her fears doubled when she heard the door open. She fought to keep her emotions down and focused instead on being the character that would suit Banner best.

“…where? Oh. Oh,” a husky-but-gentle voice came. Gentle was a feature Nat did not associate the name Bruce Banner with. A mousy man with greying, but not quite, hair lurked into the room. “Why am I not surprised?”

The little girl Natasha had hired ran inside, opening her hand for payment. Nat set a fat roll in her hand and pushed her along. The sooner she was safe, the sooner the ugly business could be started.

“Maybe it’s because you’re always suspicious,” she replied. She sat down at the one table in the hut, crossing her legs and laying her hands in front of her to appear trusting and open. Banner narrowed his eyes. Maybe it was her face that gave it away. She gave him a smile. “You’re being recruited by Nick Fury.”

“And what does he want?” Bruce probed. 

“He wants what I want,” Nat said. “Peace on Earth and goodwill toward men.”

The doctor scoffed. “What does that mean, exactly?”

“It means war is coming, Doctor Banner — and we need you to help us prepare.”

Chapter Text

While waiting for the Avengers to come flying in, Darcy was pretty pumped. Six superheroes were going to be in one room together! It was like some kind of comic book story turned real-life. The only way to display her excitement was through blasting her iPod at full capacity. Her earbuds kept falling out because of the wind, so she would put them back in every now and then.

Wind.

Feeling the wind through her hair while being on the Helicarrier (disguised as a ship) was like being on a dangerous cruise. Thrilling, exotic, and somehow threatening and anxiety-inducing all at once. It reminded her of the way Thor’s expression would change with the new dangers of Earth. 

Dear sweet Celestia, did she miss him.

As she looked out on the horizon, the first plane to land on a pad was a busted up green aviator with red wings. Two people stepped out of it: a cool-mannered Agent Romanoff and a nervous, mousy man that could only be Doctor Bruce Banner. He was fumbling around, whipping his head back and forth, and tailing Natasha like he could get lost but kept his distance.

When they’d gotten a call from Natasha so soon, it wasn’t surprising to learn that the doctor had some requirements for becoming their “lackey.” Darcy would have used another word, or maybe four, but being part of S.H.I.E.L.D. didn’t mean anything bad.

You just had to know the right people and make sure they knew you meant business. Heck, when she first started, she had known the right people. She was a big girl. She knew it gave her an edge that others didn’t have. But what other people were unwilling to do was march right up to Director Nicholas J. freaking Fury and demand that they had security in the job as well as the right to know what they were up against.

“Miss Lewis, I would suggest not doing that — ”

“Hey, I need to do this, buddy,” she (respectfully) snapped back. Darcy all but stomped her boots to make her way to the guy with the eyepatch and the aura of scariness. “Are you in charge here?” she asked. “Because if you are, I got a few things I need to say if you wanna have me so badly.”

“Who is this ?” Eyepatch said. As he moved, all the leather he was wearing squeaked.

“I’m Darcy Lewis, undergraduate student of political science and after all the weird stuff I’ve seen the past week, probably astrophysics, too. Baldy over here — ”

“ — I’m not bald — ,” Coulson coughed politely behind her. She ignored him and continued.

“ — said I should consider taking a job here. What makes S.H.I.E.L.D. so in need of a diplomat that you’re turning to an undergraduate ?” she interrogated. Darcy tossed her hair and pushed up her glasses. “Is this place amateur? Is that why I’ve never heard of you?”

Nick Fury didn’t grin, but smiled with his eyes. “We need someone who’s not willing to take no for an answer and has real experience with the unknown.”

She had never seen two grown men so scared in her life. Fury wasn’t scared, but Theodore Ryan and Coulson were. The last time she had felt that powerful was when Thor looked at her like a goddess.

She knew she was a killer goddess.

Stephen and Loki were off in a corner, whispering to each other furiously about a new topic. It wasn’t negative anymore; she was glad about that. Stephen was in a sweatshirt hoodie and jeans. Loki was wearing the same outfit he had arrived in, refusing to wear pants like a normal person.

“She picked the ring?” Stephen’s lips played out. Loki nodded, showing off the pewter band around his finger like a prize. Darcy smiled. The boys were happy. 

Man, she wished Thor were here. 

“Agent Lewis?” someone asked. 

Darcy turned. Steve Rogers was standing in full suit, combed hair, and freshly shaved. He looked like a stud, like — like an eagle on a barren limb. How did every blond she met end up being some kind of majestic creature? “Oh. Um, hello, Captain Rogers. How are you?” she greeted, smiling warmly and taking her earbuds out. The Beyoncé she had blaring sounded like white noise against her coat. She tucked her iPod in her pocket.

“I’m doing as best as I can,” he said, twisting his head to catch a glimpse of everything and everyone. His uneasiness was apparent. Darcy felt bad, but she knew he would find his zone the minute the fight started. Out of everything, she was confident in that. Steve flexed his hands. “That’s Natasha Romanoff, yeah?” he asked, pointing toward the redhead who was trying her best to talk to Banner.

“Yeah, that’s Romanoff. Next to her is Banner, and over in the corner are my dorks. You already know them.” She jerked her chin toward the idiots still dazzled by the pewter wedding band like high school girls. She swore she heard Loki’s voice say something about gorgeous hair but then immediately tuned it out. 

“Doctor Stephen Strange and Loki Odinson,” he said to himself. He heaved a sigh. “So that’s… Five out of seven, including me. Where’s Barton? I’d like to meet everyone first just so I know if I can work well with these total strangers.” A small smile played on his lips. Darcy chuckled, but then caught what was subtly conveyed.

“So… you want to meet everyone. But not Stark?” she hedged. 

He shook his head once. “No, not Stark. I heard he’s not fond of me and I would rather not deal with that on a first meeting one-to-one. I’ve heard all sorts of things about what his father would compare him to. Not right, obviously, but I don’t want to be the scum under his boot.” His words were clear, soldier-like. It was like talking to an old man — Darcy supposed this was from the time displacement. 

She smiled reassuringly. “I think you two are going to get along just fine,” Darcy said, watching as a red and gold suit entered from the sky. “I’ll leave you guys to play nice; I have business to attend to. See ya!”

She walked away from Rogers just as he took a breath in protest, sticking up his pointer finger like a comic book character. Darcy didn’t care much; he would have to figure things out on his own. He was a grown man and so was Stark. They would either beef it out or be friends, knowing Tony. With possibly misplaced confidence, she took a deep breath and ran the wrinkles out of her clothes. Darcy knew who really needed to be talked to before Asgard’s arrival.

Dork One and Dork Two. 

“What are you guys chatting about?” she asked, crossing her arms and holding her elbows. Loki twisted his ring and smiled brightly, taking a deep breath before Stephen slapped a hand over his mouth.

“Nothing. What do you have for us?” Strange asked, a hard tone dominating his voice. He sounded embarrassed. Darcy had to suppress a smirk. 

“I wanna know where Thor is. Like if he’s coming to fight with us or not. Obviously, you two were just talking about Sif — ”

“Is there something wrong with that?” Loki asked.

“ — but I would kind of like to know where Sparkles is. Macho Man is going to help us a lot with bringing this circus act together as a family.” She gestured to Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff talking and shaking hands awkwardly. “Do they look like they trust each other? I don’t think so. Rogers doesn’t take five minutes without checking his back and Romanoff has her hand against her gun. Banner is fiddling with his shirt. Barton and Romanoff know each other, so that will create a rift and Stark…” Darcy trailed off. “Thor just radiates this fun energy. He’d definitely go nuts if they did nothing but argue.”

“Stark tries to mitigate,” Strange said, “but sometimes his efforts make it worse. He used to have silent fights with his girlfriend and when he tried to apologize it would usually lead to him tripping over himself and saying the wrong things. The guy talks snark, science, and business and nothing else.”

All three of them sighed, watching Stark move in his special, twitchy, jumpy way. His hands moved at a million miles and hour and so did his mouth. Darcy couldn’t tell what on Earth he was saying, much less what he was feeling other than mild irritation. Rogers and Romanoff studied him from afar, just as she, Stephen, and Loki were.

“Tony’s a bit special,” Darcy concluded. 

“Loki, you should try and hypnotize him,” Stephen mumbled.

“I need my staff to do that.” Loki leaned in without tearing his eyes from the billionaire. “I don’t have it. Also, you should stop staring, the man smells fear.”

Tony turned to face them as soon as Loki uttered his last few words. They all jumped. The billionaire’s lips tugged upward. Sashaying towards the three of them and rubbing his hands together like he had just spotted a prize, Tony held his head up high and proud. Surprisingly, the first to back up out of Loki, Strange, and Darcy was Stephen.

“What? Are you scared?” Loki asked. He chuckled.

“…No,” he answered too quickly. “No, I’m not.”

“Hey, Strange! How’re ya doin’? How’ve ya been?” Tony called. He stopped right in front of the three of them and shook Darcy’s hand while rushing, “How’s living as a super-sized McDouble magician been treating you?”

“Poorly,” the doctor answered. “Making sure you didn’t die was a big contributor.”

“Oop. That’s sass. Hear that? That was sass.” Tony looked around the Helicarrier, but Darcy couldn’t tell what for. “Agent Lewis, right?” The businessman-hero-philanthropist looked her right in the eyes as he switched topics. “Care to introduce me to Santa’s elf?” He swept his gaze to Loki, whose face had twisted in offense.

“What did you call me?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Stark waved it off. “You’re Loki Laufeyson?”

“Odinson.”

“Odinson,” he repeated, bobbing his head with an air that reeked of Don’t know, don’t care mixed with Saving that for laterz with a z. “So, I take it that you’re related to the blond He-Man replica that Miss Darcy, here, debriefed S.H.I.E.L.D. about, yeah?” Stark clapped his hands two or three times.

“Thor is my brother, yes.” Loki looked to Darcy, nervous. “Why is he asking me questions?”

“You’re new,” she told him. “That’s why.”

“What I’m most curious about — pardon me if this is rude — is how I didn’t notice my neurosurgeon was a magician,” Tony said, now glaring at Stephen. Not cruelly, of course, but enough that it made Strange’s eyes roll.

“Because I didn’t tell you. We’re Avengers, now, so could you drop it?”

Darcy moved over to Loki. She didn’t want to watch an argument or a contest between the two. Loki set his hands on her shoulders and took her a few steps back from the men.

“Sure, sure, whenever you decide that you’re gonna be honest, ya know, given that you’re my doctor.” Tony stuck his hands in his pockets. This was the first time they weren’t flying around or touching something. 

Strange heaved a sigh. A large, heavy sigh. Darcy felt it resonate in her bones. Tony Stark could be exhausting to interact with, even for a few seconds. Heck, she understood why Steve Rogers didn’t want to meet him. “Mr. Stark — ”

“Tony.”

“Tony, we don’t have time for this.” Strange took a challenging step in front of the other man. “Right now, we’ve got to worry about an alien invasion and it’s our job to protect Earth. Afterward, we can beef it out.”

“Whatever you say, Doc.” Tony turned around a few times, probably bored or trying to make assessments. The wind ruffled his hair, his T-shirt, and his pant legs. He looked like a school kid fresh out of class. Somehow, every one of these people had their own greatness… Darcy felt like she had nothing great like that about her. “Agent Lewis?”

“Yeah?” she asked, removing her headphones from her coat and setting them in her pocket. Loki let his hands fall from her shoulders.

Tony grinned a trash-consuming grin. “Take me to your leader.”

Darcy pointed to Nick Fury. He was shaking hands with people and turning his head to Maria Hill. “He’s over there. You know him. I think you know Doctor Banner, right?” She jutted her thumb to Banner, who was dialing a number on a cell phone. Natasha Romanoff, Barton, and Rogers were chatting away near the center of the deck. Darcy resisted the urge to close her eyes and review everything mid-conversation. She still wasn’t used to constant changes despite finding her home in them.

Tony shrugged, but he showed some recognition. “I know a lot of people.”

Giving the boys a look to indicate Stay here , she waved Tony over to her. “Come with me, Iron Man.”

Stephen watched Darcy and Tony walk away. She seemed flawlessly accustomed to the insanity of it all. Maybe she had a few aces up her sleeve since he had seen her last. Thor would definitely be impressed. “Hmm. Stark’s been just like I remember.” Stephen crossed his arms, and so did Loki. 

“That’s Anthony Edward Stark, alright,” Loki mumbled. “Didn’t interact with him long, but I wouldn’t put it past him to try and pressure Darcy for information on the Stones or our little… time adventure.” The god looked about the Helicarrier carefully to make sure no one was watching. Stephen didn’t feel any eyes on them, but you could never be sure. “If anyone would be able to screw this up, it’d be him. His influence isn’t his money or his brain. It’s… There’s a phrase you mortals use…”

“God-given,” the magician filled in. Loki nodded. Strange rolled his neck, exhaling. His skin felt cold from the ocean spray. He was ready to either get in the sky or back on land. “Should we go with her?”

“She can handle herself,” Loki hummed. He looked up at the sky. Time was ticking, Time was thinking. They both could feel it. Time Herself was closing in, and they were running out of time to manipulate Her to their liking. “She knows what to do. The worst that would happen would be Stark quitting.”

“That wasn’t what I was asking.” Stephen looked at Loki.

“I don’t think we should follow her, Strange,” Loki said sternly. “Stark is not a threat at this moment. Don’t overthink this. Your brain isn’t as large as you think. You’re not some Sherlock Holmes with all the answers; you’re just a man who happens to be brilliant.”

Strange barked a humorless laugh. “How do you know who Sherlock Holmes is but not the phrase ‘God-given’?”

Loki glowered. “Stop talking before I make you.”

There was something different about Loki’s dirty look.

It wasn’t just… dirty.

“You’ll make me?” Stephen chuckled arrogantly, but made the mistake of establishing contact. He tried for a cool expression, but he knew Loki could see right through it. The staring eyes of the god felt heavy. Heavy, weighed, pulled… The old, old knowledge in his eyes was starting to show through. Something evil, something good, something that was grey to his comprehension but still darker than he ever thought he would see. He had seen… he had seen a lot. He was fairly new to the “infinite knowledge” aspect, but it wasn’t enough to stop Loki’s evil eye from being intimidating. “Let’s keep a lookout on her, okay? Make sure she doesn’t get in trouble, and possibly get the Tesseract back.”

“Wait… why would we need it?” Loki asked, eyebrows drawing together. He blinked once, the olden gaze dissipating almost as quickly as it came. Loki was a god, at least a thousand years old. The Ancient One was only about five hundred. Loki had death in his eyes, wielded it when he pleased, and yet Stephen wasn’t afraid of him until now.

He had thought he was, only understanding with his mind how dangerous Loki of Asgard was.

Boy, he was wrong.

What was Stephen getting himself into? Messing with atavistic power like this? Since the beginning of the universe, there were the Infinity Stones… Loki had held the Tesseract with bare hands more than once. He was a mighty man. 

Not a man. 

Loki was a warrior. He was a sorcerer.

He was a god.

And here Stephen Strange was, with time slipping away from him. Weak in comparison, silly in comparison… 

Trying to seem unbothered, he managed to find his voice. “We need the Tesseract to destroy it… once and for all.”

“Destroy it?” Loki asked. “Are you crazy?”

“I might be, yeah. But think about it, Loki. This threat, this… this person who wants to hurt us, to wipe out half of everything, he wants the Stones. If half of them are destroyed, he can’t get to the others.” Stephen full-body faced Loki, checking to make sure no one was eavesdropping. “Thanos can’t hurt us.”

Loki shook his head. “He would still find a way to destroy Earth and Asgard.” He ran a hand through his hair, letting his hand linger on the back of his head. “Destroying Stones? What are we destroying out of six? What are we destroying along with the Tesseract?”

“The Reality Stone and… and the Time Stone.”

“How would we destroy them?”

“We need the Mind Stone to create the Vision… we have to let the Reality Stone alter Wanda… the Power Stone sets the Guardians of the Galaxy on their path to kill Ego.” Stephen did the calculations in his head as fast as he could, but it was for naught. “The Soul Stone is safe, so no need to worry about it.”

“How would we destroy the Tesseract?”

The doctor chewed at his nails for a moment, then paused. “Stark and magic. All three of them. We can’t let the Mad Titan have these, Loki.”

“What if Stark and our combined magic isn’t enough?”

“We’ll figure it out when Thor arrives,” Strange said firmly. He said it more for himself than for anyone else. “Before he does, we have to debrief everyone.”

“Oh, not again,” the God of Lies groaned. He squared his shoulders. “I suppose we should go introduce ourselves; we’ll be stuck with these people for many years to come.”

“Remember not to say anything suspicious.”

Loki huffed. “We can just say we’re magic — most mortals don’t think twice about that.”

Stephen pinched the bridge of his nose tightly. “Please don’t say you’ve tried that.”

“Of course I have.” He acted as if it was a go-to excuse. He tapped Stephen’s elbow. “Let’s get this over with so I can woo my wife.”

They made their way over to the Avengers, their strides matching. “Loki, did you just say woo?”

Loki didn’t look over. “Oh, shut up.”

Thor sat in the armory, staring down at his reflection in his gauntlets. Since going back through the timeline, he hadn’t felt at home in his own body. The reflection was even stranger, now, after he had shaved his beard. He felt like an imposter, but the new change made him feel in control. He felt less than mighty, but this helped. He felt too weak to stall a whole army, much less rule Asgard at all; before, he worried about being sole king, and now, he worried about even having a say.

What if he did something wrong?

What if being royalty was continuing Odin’s tyranny?

What was the point of being king if he was going to outlive Darcy and doom Asgard all over again?

He looked around the armory, taking one last comfort in the smell of polished metal, worn leather, and dust. It wasn’t a clean smell, and it wasn’t a warm smell, but it was the last place he was going to feel safe in for a long time to come. This was one of the few places that was poisoned with his father’s presence, or stilled by his mother’s grace. The place where he could be a warrior and a brother and a friend and a boy all at once, without having to shift between identities. Loki smiled often in this place. Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun pushed him around and teased him here. Here, this place, he fell in love with combat and grew to hope for sunshine.

He thought back to his sister, Hela, he thought about Loki. He thought about how terribly he had treated Loki back on Sakaar — he had taken his grief out on his brother and repeated behaviors he had seen only in his father. He tried to believe he was something larger than life through cruelty. What if he was like that after this future threat was quelled?

“Thor,” a deep, weary voice said. The prince knew who it was. How could he forget?

“Leave me.” Thor closed his eyes but didn’t face him. He wouldn’t face him — not because he was scared, but because he knew it was the one way he could hurt the voice the deepest. Every bad trait he had picked up had come from this voice; he didn’t feel bad for showing just how intelligent he was to it. 

In retrospect, he loved how this was the best way he could show himself.

There was a weighted sigh in response. Thor kept his eyes closed, resting his face in his hands. A foreign, yet all-too-familiar, claw-like set of fingers set themselves on his shoulder. “Thor… You won’t look at your own flesh and blood?”

“Why are you here?” he asked, shrugging his father’s hand off. 

“I need your help, my son.”

My son. How many times had he called Loki that? What else had he told Loki? Had he called Hela his daughter? There was something different about his tone that Thor had never noticed before. There was need in his words.

He smiled a little, suddenly remembering the truest words he had ever spoken: You’re an old man and a fool. Odin was no fool on the battlefield, in the minds of others. He was, however, unknowledgeable when it came to the true hearts of those around him. “My help is nothing compared to the powers of the Allfather. It is only he who can break promises and hearts of the strongest men in the realm, isn’t it?”

“That isn’t fair,” the king scoffed. Thor felt Odin draw closer. “I’m trying to protect Asgard! If this danger hadn’t arisen — ”

Before letting his father finish, he let his mouth run. “You’re not protecting anyone.” Thor stood. He put his cape on around his shoulders, grabbing a sword, Mjölnir, and his winged helmet. He set the metal around his cranium, taking a deep breath in. “I’m going to Earth. I’m going to fight against every soldier you send, even if it kills me.”

“You can’t mean that, Thor.”

Thor’s heart was pounding in his chest. It was breaking, it was falling apart. He felt helpless, like there was nothing he could do, yet he felt tremendously hopeful. “You have no idea how much I mean it.” 

“Son — ,” the Allfather began.

“I am not your son until this invasion is called off,” Thor snapped, finally looking at his king for the first time since he had arrived. “No man can stand by and watch the helpless be massacred. You are no man… so I have no father.”

With one swift stride, he walked past the old warrior, exiting the armory. When he was younger, he would have died before saying such a thing. Now? Now… now, he was more concerned with his family and the citizens of Midgard.

Nothing else.

Chapter Text

The clinking of metal weapons against each other was like music to Thor’s ears. The air smelled of petrichor. Swords against shields, maces hitting dummies’ helmets, and armor shifting and clashing against armor had its own melody unlike any other. If love had a sound, it would be this. Fighting and training to keep someone safe. No words spoken. His heart dipped below its cage, however, remembering that this fight was misguided. He would have to wage war against his brothers to save Midgard. He turned his head, hoping to ease his mind. Sif stood tall next to him, hands set on her hips and her lips chewed raw with anxiety.

 “What preys on your mind, sister?” Thor asked, the wind blowing against his nose and putting pressure on the wings of his helm. 

Sif jumped slightly. “Oh. Nothing that should be concerning.” She forced a laugh and folded her arms. “I’m just wondering how Loki is holding up — and your Darcy. Will they really be able to prepare Midgard for this?” She gestured to the assembling force. Giant, near-immortal men and women would tower over even the strongest mortals — Terrans — humans. They saw them as nothing but fleeting vapors when Thor saw them as so much more than that. Sif exhaled and let her muscles relax. “We’ve won many wars with less, Thor. I don’t want to carry this out. They’ve done us no harm… What if we fail? I couldn’t stand to fail.”

“We have to stall the departure, then. When these armies arrive, you and I can fight against them with the Avengers. They are Earth’s mightiest heroes,” Thor reassured her. “Loki will be safe and sound. He’ll return to your arms in a matter of days — I’m sure of it.”

Sif’s expression reflected her irritation at Loki’s name. He couldn’t tell if she was annoyed at the mention of Loki alone, or if it was because he could tell she was more worried about him rather than his success. “Why did you shave your face, again?” she asked, switching topics. “It looks odd.”

“This is a new age,” he said simply. Sif didn’t want to talk about Loki? Fine. He could play her game. He switched the topic back over. “When did you start worrying over Loki so?”

Sif’s jaw flexed. Her chest rose as she breathed in, then said in a matter-of-fact voice, “Since he became my husband. You should settle down, brother. It would do you good — tame that roaming heart of yours, fill the void and such.”

Things had changed for all of them, but this was just too much change for him to believe. Thor wouldn’t believe it. When did Sif start reciting lines? What happened to her bold opinions? Was this Loki’s influence? Or was she being truthful? The god could never tell. “By the Norns, I know you two didn’t marry for love,” he sighed. “Don’t try to convince me otherwise.”

“We’ve grown close, Thor,” Sif muttered. “He’s a friend — a dear one, too. I wish you’d drop it. I don’t need another person asking if I’m in love with the God of Mischief.”

Thor raised his hands in surrender. “I apologize.” He set his hands on his hips. “I’m going down to Midgard to help, Sif.” He took a deep breath, trying to form his words before he spoke them. “If Odin comes asking to rush things ahead of schedule, remind him that I’ll be in possession of not one, but two, Infinity Stones.”

Sif blinked, wrinkling her nose. “‘Odin’?”

“What?” he asked, turning his head back toward the Captain of the Guard. Did she expect him to call him Allfather?

“Not ‘Father’?” she pressed. “You never call him ‘Odin.’ Ever.”

Thor smiled sadly. “You can’t keep a title if you don’t work to deserve it. Now, I’ll be back with Darcy, Loki, and Stephen Strange before you miss them any more. Promise you’ll be safe, sister.” He set his hands upon her shoulders and squeezed. “This war will be over before it even begins. Trust fate.”

Sif nodded once, dropping her eyes to the floor. Then, she turned her gaze back to the soldiers. “I promise, Thor. The Warriors Three and I will work to keep the soldiers at bay.” She looked into his eyes. “Off with you, God of Thunder.” 

Thor hugged his sister-in-law in a crushing embrace, then took another longing look at the training warriors. “Tell Mother I’ve gone.”

“I will.”

“Don’t let the Warriors Three know about the timeline, yet.”

“I won’t. Just go,” she insisted. Sif pushed him away, toward the exit. “Go and save Midgard.”

Thor lingered for a moment. Go and save Midgard. The words hung in the air…  

There was so much he wanted to say, to apologize for, to tell Sif. He wanted to tell her about Loki’s affections; about her fate; about Asgard’s fate; about the Tesseract’s true power. He wasn’t sure if he even could. There was once a time where he would have burned down buildings for her, ravaged smugglers’ bounties with her, and taken over the universe because she said so. It wasn’t because of what could have been, but because she was his greatest friend. This felt like a permanent goodbye.

How many goodbyes was he going to have?

“Farewell,” he whispered. “Do not lose courage during the battle. Keep your head high. You are a queen, Sif.”

With that, he turned, not willing to hear anything else from his sister-in-law. 

He needed to remember who this fight was for — he needed to stop wallowing. Darcy believed he was a great man. He needed to become a great man for her, for himself. The fate of two realms and possibly more rested in his hands, even if it was temporary. If he couldn’t handle that, what could he handle? Had the past been for nothing? Was there some kind of false confidence?

He lost his eye.

He lost his brother twice.

He lost his sister, his mother, and Odin.

He had been lied to, tricked, and blinded by his own grief.

If Thor couldn’t overcome this battle, then what were the rest for?

He turned every corner with a spin of his heel. He felt his armor shift comfortably. He let himself go. Humility reminds a warrior what he is fighting for, he told himself. Fight for Darcy. Fight for Loki. Fight for Strange, Sif, Stark… 

A voice echoed in his head, though it was loud like the sea or the roar of a lion. It’s hard for a good man to be a great man — greatness should only come from goodness.

His greatness would be for others’ goodness.

Loki played with the spear in his hands. He knew he shouldn’t; he remembered quite vividly how his last experience went. It was just so hard to put it down — not in the sense that he was drawn to it, but that he was too nervous not to play. He could feel Thanos’s wrath within his bones. His skeleton was vibrating — his being was resonating. Any second, now, Thor was supposed to be coming. How much longer could they wait for the strongest warrior in Asgard?

The Avengers were clamoring together, already picking and choosing their closest allies and their new friends. Captain America was whispering to Natasha Romanoff with a smile in his eyes; Clint Barton had taken his seat next to Romanoff; Bruce Banner and Tony Stark had struck up a conversation. Stephen was next to Loki, that he was thankful for. He didn’t need to be too close to Banner. If Thor were here, he would have already started telling jokes about Bilgesnipe.

He wasn’t afraid of the scientist, he just didn’t feel safe around that temper.

When the overwhelming noise was beginning to reach Loki’s breaking point, his saving grace stood up and clapped her hands together. He released a sigh of relief.

“Hey! Do you all know each other, now?” Darcy asked, a friendly smile adorning her face. She pushed her glasses back up her nose and shoved her hands into her pockets as far as they could go — the second knuckle. “We can always play ice breaker games if you don’t; they take about ten minutes.”

“Ice breaker,” Tony snorted. “Like Cap?”

There was a lack of laughter around the table, suffice to say. Stephen hid his smirk. The prince wasn’t impressed.

“Or,” Loki suggested, “we could just introduce ourselves later and talk about Asgard, the Tesseract — or Cube, if you prefer — and its powers, the Eye of Agamotto, and my brother, Thor.”

Darcy faked a gasp, but Loki knew she was secretly pleased to get on with business. She tossed her hair over her shoulder as she walked around the table. Loki was surprised that Fury hadn’t snapped at her — he appeared to be the type that was easily aggravated. “What a great idea, Loki! Let’s do that. Does anyone want to start us off?”

Tony raised his hand. 

“Anyone else?” Darcy encouraged, eyes shooting daggers at Strange and Loki. She set her hands on her waist and leaned forward. Stephen tapped Loki’s knee, to which Loki promptly tapped Stephen’s back. “Someone with personal experience with these objects?” She waved her hand around the debriefing table. “Anyone? Annnnyyyyone at all?”

No one moved. Tony still had his hand in the air. Darcy put it down.

“Loki!” she picked, packing more faux excitement into her voice than ever before. “You go first. You start us off.”

“But Strange could — ,” he protested.

Darcy was too fast. “Does it sound like I’m giving you the option, mister?”

Loki puffed his cheeks and sat up, gripping the staff in his right hand tightly. “Fine. Whatever you say, sister.” He shot her a venomous sneer. “Does anyone know what I have in my hand? Not the spear, but this” — he tapped the Stone, flicking it once or twice with his middle finger — “hideous blue thing. What does it do? What is its name? Why is it one of the most dangerous rocks in the Universe?”

There was no answer. Not even Anthony Stark tried to guess. There were some squints, some sideways turns of heads. Darcy kept her lips shut tight. 

“No one at all?” he pressed.

“It’s the Mind Stone,” Strange answered, unenthused. He inhaled quite sharply and folded his arms tightly, sitting back in his chair. Loki couldn’t relax, and seeing Stephen even start to relax made Loki feel rigid. “It amplifies intelligence, mind control, mental communication, and on some occasions, is known to be quite the weapon when it comes to projectiling.”

“I have used it once or twice to teleport,” Loki added. He turned his attention back to the Avengers, who were stiller than stone. Darcy started to pace around the other way, tapping his shoulders absentmindedly. He just continued despite her. “To use this as a weapon would be very deadly. Only the strongest beings in the Universe can wield it raw.”

“If it’s deadly, why are you using it as a weapon?” Barton asked. “How do we know we can trust you? You’re not exactly dressed like the Pope.” Natasha smirked next to him, and Steve managed not to say anything. Barton and Romanoff clapped their hands together in a victorious manner.

“I use it because I know how to,” he answered, aware it wasn’t a good excuse. Not to mention he didn’t quite care for the Pope’s style choices. “As soon as I can, I’ll be giving it over to someone who knows how to better care for it.”

“S.H.I.E.L.D., right?” Stephen asked, but it sounded more like a mother reminding her child to say “thank you.” Loki nodded, frustrated that they had to replay the game like the first time around. In order for the same events to happen, they couldn’t freestyle; they had to use the framework.

By the Norns, how Loki hated framework.

“Yes,” he murmured. “After the war is won, I’ll be giving it to S.H.I.E.L.D. But in return, I want the Cube.”

“You’re asking us for payment?” Fury scoffed. 

“Yes,” Loki said sternly. “If I was your only threat, I’m sure I would have been bested by now. You’re a fool for thinking that my help is for your organization. If you’d like the Mind Stone, you’re going to have to return the Cube to me.”

“Just do it,” Darcy pleaded to the director. She clasped her hands in front of her. By the director’s expression, it seemed as if she would never have said that. “He knows what he’s talking about, and there’s no reason for him to hand over the Mind Stone as opposed to the Cube. Trust him.”

“Agent Lewis, is this really your judgement? Or has he enchanted you with that Mind Stone of his?”

Darcy gaped, offended. Natasha sucked her lips in surprise, as did Loki. How rude! “What do you think?” she threatened. The room’s cheery air suddenly dropped by a few points. Unless he was mistaken, Loki thought he saw Fury take a step back.

“…apologies, Agent Lewis.”

“That’s right,” she said. She dusted herself off. “Mr. Loki has kindly given us his support and his intelligence, so I think giving him the Cube would be better than nothing at all. It’s rude not to pay someone for their services.” She sat down, finally. “Strange. Doc. Stephenerino — ”

“Don’t call me that.”

“ — isn’t it your turn to do some explaining?” She leaned forward and rested her head in her palm. The prince could tell that, no matter how much power the director had been given, Darcy was in charge. She owned the room. She was the big boss lady.

Stephen Strange, however, didn’t care whether or not she was the ruler of the room. “You’re right, but I’m not going to. I think Thor can explain some of this better than I can.”

Darcy frowned. “He isn’t here.”

Stephen gave Loki a pointed look toward the window outside. 

The God of Mischief couldn’t believe what he was seeing. 

Loki leaned toward the center of the table. His eyes flew open widely. “By the Norns… I don’t believe it. I don’t believe it at all.” 

Darcy turned around. She gasped. “Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh, oh my gosh!” 

She stood up and bolted straight for the door. Loki stood, too, taking Stephen with him. “You’re going to be supportive of that queen,” Loki smirked. He playfully slugged the magician’s arm. “I know it.”

“Would you stop turning me into a softy?” he whined. 

“Oh, absolutely not.”

“I can’t believe it!” Darcy exclaimed, her throat tightening with tears, excitement, or something else she couldn’t place. She ripped off her heels and started running on the deck. She needed to meet him halfway as much as she could. Oh, her heart could burst! She was giddy. She saw the familiar red cape, the hammer, the rolling rain clouds. “Thor!” she shouted. “Thor!”

“Darcy, be careful!” Loki’s voice came from behind her. “He’ll be staticky!”

“Oh, quiet, Shakespeare!” she snapped half-heartedly. Despite her promise to herself not to cry, she felt the tears well up in her eyes as she stopped in the center of the deck. Darcy held her arms up high above her head to eagerly signal to her friend where she was. She couldn’t jump on the deck, but she desperately wanted to. She never expected to be so happy to see Thor, again.

When Thor finally came within earshot, he crowed with delight. He threw his hammer onto the deck and landed with a thud. His heavy feet stomped their way over to her. “Darcy!”

“Thor, oh, my gosh, you’re here!” she cried, barreling to the blond god with all her strength. Her feet couldn’t move fast enough; she almost slipped twice. The deck was longer than she remembered, yet all the time in the world was put on hold for the two of them. Thor extended his arms and so did she. She screamed with delight as she sprinted at him. When they collided, he lifted her above his head and spun her around and around.

“Oh, my Darcy!” Thor’s booming voice laughed. “You’re as beautiful as the last time I saw you… How I missed you.” He tucked an arm under her legs as she wrapped them around his waist. “I thought I might have had to wait before being blessed by your presence, princess.” 

Darcy clung to Thor like a koala, arms around his neck. “I can’t believe you’re here!” she exclaimed. “You’re supposed to be stopping Asgard from coming to Earth. Why are you here?”

“To prepare the Avengers,” he said, stating the answer as if it were obvious. He set her down on the ground, cupping her face with his paws-for-hands. Darcy let her hands fall to his wrists. “Odin is determined to destroy you, princess, and we mustn’t let him. Sif will arrive with the armies in time. We must stay focused and work on this together.”

Darcy felt her lips tug into a smile. “Together, you say?”

Thor rubbed their noses together affectionately. “Together.”

Darcy couldn’t help but giggle at the nuzzle. She took a few steps back from Thor, just to take a good look at him. She took off her glasses and stepped forward again. “Hey, why did you shave that killer beard of yours?” she asked, setting her hands on her hips. She did a sweeper gaze over his figure. He was beefier, his hair was at his shoulders, and he wore a silver helm with eagle’s wings extending over his head. There was a glint in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. “I like it. It looks nice. You’re almost… boyish.”

Thor ran a hand over his chin as if he had forgotten about the non-existent beard. “It’s new — I wanted to celebrate the new age.” He grinned at her. “I think the badge suits you, princess. You look regal and heroic.”

Darcy’s heart beat rapidly with joy. “Heroic?”

Loki and Stephen finally found their places beside the unusual couple. Strange was the first one to talk. “Of course, heroic. C’mon, you practically run S.H.I.E.L.D., and you drilled in some really good points last time you saw Thor.” He set a hand on her shoulder. She pursed her lips and nodded, trying to stay nonchalant.

“You helped with some of it,” she replied. “Give credit where it’s due, Doc.”

“She does have a point.” Loki studied the thunder god intensely, sucking his teeth. “Brother, your bare face looks rather ridiculous. Should I grow a beard, now? To balance us out?”

“Wouldn’t that surprise the missus,” Strange snorted. “You said she hated your stubble.” Thor laughed and clapped each sorcerer on the shoulder.

“She said she hated it when I kept stubble. It isn’t the same thing. I never grew a beard.”

Loki getting defensive about his wife? Oh, it warmed Darcy’s heart. The domestic exchanges felt perfect, nevermind the horrific timing. Instead of interrupting, though, she let them chitchat for a teensy bit longer. 

“I agree. You should try it, brother,” Thor teased. He removed his hands from everyone, placing them on his hips. Darcy felt a surge of pride — Thor was far more confident than the last time she had seen him. Whatever he had done back on Asgard to prepare for war and the invasion, he had found himself, too. Thor carried himself lightly; his stance was taught but without strain. Each breath he exhaled radiated a different brand of peace that she had never felt before; she liked it. It was cool and crisp, and smelled of petrichor — just like Thor. “Let us catch up later, brothers. Introduce me to the Avengers. Er, re -introduce me.”

“Still not your brother,” Strange said under his breath. Darcy smacked his arm discreetly, rolling her eyes at his denial. She couldn’t imagine why he was still pushing the brothers away when he clearly cared for them, but then Darcy wondered if he ever felt worthy enough for genuine affection. Maybe he didn’t think he deserved the brotherly affections of powerful aliens.

Talking about it would have to wait, though.

Darcy took Thor’s arm, grinning up at him. “This way, Sparkles. Allow me.”

“Oh, please, go on,” he chuckled. He waved his arm in front of them. Darcy gave a deep nod and tugged him along. 

“The Avengers aren’t gonna know what hit ’em.”

Scraping nails against wood brought her out of her senses. Only the sound brought her back — she didn’t feel the bending keratin or the pain of the splinting wood in her nail beds. Whatever she had been doing before, the Ancient One had long since stopped to destroy the bamboo table. It had been a gift — a favorite one at that. 

“No matter what I try to fix,” she muttered. “Had I known Strange would be so headstrong, I would have traveled timelines to remove him.” She waved her hand over out in front of her. A miniature replica of the timeline appeared above the scratched table. Gazing at the glimmering gold, she mused, “Where to start?”

The Eye of Agamotto gleamed against her belly. It knew. It wanted to help restore the timeline. So did she. 

“The changes are solidifying… If they stop the Chitauri invasion, everything could grow hectic.” She plucked moments out of the timeline, swiping through them over and over and over. “That can’t happen.”

Stephen Strange had been warned once. 

She had to stop him.

Chapter Text

First impressions were always something to worry about. They could shape a person’s opinion of you within seconds, lasting days or even years after the fact. If Thor was introduced wrongly then it would mean having to work twice as hard to gain the trust of five deadly people. If his introduction was a success, well… That made Darcy’s job a million and a half times smoother. 

Unfortunately for her, when it came to a room full of fighters, one had to be expertly careful about how they introduced themselves. 

Darcy had been told about the previous timeline, how Thor was once a core member of the Avengers, but the difficulty with this timeline was clear. Crystal, in fact. He had forged his way in with a force mightier than most gods; he was demanding and upfront. Every letter she had received, every story she had been told, recounted everything she needed to know. As she walked Thor back to the debriefing room, she started to ponder exactly what kind of approach the Big Hunk needed.

Just as easy as a lightbulb switching on, the idea dawned on her. The Avengers were challengers, yes, but they took to formality like a duck in a pond. Two were scientists, two were spies, and one was a soldier. Nothing more formal than that, right?

She needed this meeting to go smoothly. The Asgardian invasion and whatever else that hid itself in the future depended on Thor. She had to help him.

 “May I introduce the hero of Asgard?” Darcy announced, forcing herself to sound cool and composed. “Because here he is. Here’s the guy. Thor, son of Odin, prince of Asgard.” She tugged Thor over. He had been staring at the horizon as they walked down the deck, but his attention speedily averted to the newly recruited S.H.I.E.L.D.… Liaisons? Consultants? Mercenaries? 

Whatever they were. 

“Hello,” the blond god said. He removed his helmet and bowed deeply at his waist. “It’s an honor to meet the warriors I’ve heard much about.” He rose up, turning his head to each of his new team members. Natasha smirked in the back. Tony puffed his cheeks, mumbling something to Banner that the former poli-sci major couldn’t make out. She was almost nervous, at least until Banner nodded in agreement and smiled kindly. Darcy felt a swell of pride; who knew the men had such manners? Thor was being a perfect angel, and he was teetering a warm welcome!

Out of the first seven Avengers, the first to speak was, surprise, surprise, Captain America. Rogers folded his arms neatly over his chest and stepped forward. If you took the wind away, the deck would have been so quiet you could hear a mouse sneeze.

“You’re Loki’s brother?” Steve asked. Thor jerked his chin upward in confirmation. The captain’s gaze was hard, lukewarm: it wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t trusting, either. He stood rigidly. Each man continued to maintain eye contact; Thor’s pulse accelerated under Darcy’s hand with each second it lasted. Loki coughed from behind them. Stephen’s long exhale followed after. Eventually, Rogers opened his mouth to speak again. “We can just call you Thor, right? Or do you prefer ‘Your Majesty’?” The soldier’s lip twitched. 

They were in good favor.

“Thor is correct,” the god answered with a nod of affirmation. “I wouldn’t be opposed if you called me whatever Darcy does, either. Forgive me, but what are your names? I’d guess; unfortunately, I could not distinguish any of you men by looks alone.” The thunder god quickly peeked at Romanoff with a teasing smirk. “Princess, that is Natasha, isn’t it?”

“The one and only,” the spy chirped from the back. Darcy grinned, laughing along with her response. Thor moved his arm from Darcy’s and wrapped it around her waist to secure her to his side — he must have been nervous. In some ways, she was starting to feel nervous, too. She had no idea what it must have been like to pretend to not know your former companions, although she was sure she would hear about it from one of the boys.

“My name is Steve Rogers,” Cap said, offering his hand in peace. Thor set Mjölnir down on the deck to reciprocate. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise, sir.” Thor grinned and let go of Steve’s hand. He clapped the soldier’s shoulder a little too hard, which provoked a round of giggles. “That takes care of two of the five — we won’t count my brothers, obviously. Who are the rest of you?”

“Brothers?” Tony asked. Darcy almost facepalmed; Strange’s soft grunt of pain behind her said Loki was keeping him quiet. There was no need to correct Stark — not yet, anyway. “You have more than one brother, Thor? What are there, two Lokis? Are you saying there’s some kind of multiverse? Is there a time agency out to get us?”

“Uh, no,” Thor laughed, a peculiar, nervous edge in his voice. Darcy kicked his shin. “Uh, I mean, that’s hilarious! I was simply referring to Stephen.”

“Oh.” Stark chuckled and popped his hip. “Tony Stark: playboy, billionaire, philanthropist, Iron Man,” came the businessman. Darcy could see how Tony was bouncing up and down to size up the newbie. Thor had no trouble matching that same spirited energy as he exchanged hellos. 

“Ah!” the prince laughed. “Well… I’m a warrior of Asgard, rich, and ready to save the world…” He trailed off, diving into conversation with the others. He let go of Darcy, not before brushing a gentle kiss to her fingers, to let himself be swept away by everyone else. The greetings went fast, with laughter and gentle questions leading the nine of them back into the debriefing room without a trace of hostility. 

When they had all found a seat was when Fury slinked back into the team’s presence. “I see you’re all getting along,” he said sternly. He turned his big brown eye to the newest arrival. “Who might you be?” He knew exactly who Thor was. Darcy resisted the urge to snort.

Fury had no idea what he was getting himself into.

“My name is Thor, High Prince of Asgard.” He crossed his arms over his chest. Loki gave him a quizzical stare. That must not have been a title on Asgard. At least… not yet. Thor jerked his chin upward in acknowledgement. A quite clear Not now. “I am the son of Queen Frigga, joint-heir to the throne with Loki.” He rolled his neck over his shoulders. “Now, who might you be, sir? A pirate? Some sort of fairy tale?”

The Avengers chuckled. Thor had a point; Nick’s eye patch and scary demeanor didn’t exactly make him look like a real person. 

“No. I’m Nicholas J. Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Don’t patronize me.” He gave the room a one-eyed glare. Darcy rarely felt the effects of Fury’s evil eye, but this time she did. Thor was the first to grow serious; his features slacked into a grave expression. The other Avengers quickly fell behind him.

Despite her never-ending trust for the god, Darcy felt an eerie sense of… of something. She hadn’t ever felt it before. There was nothing she could compare it to, other than second-hand dread. Even so, this wasn’t normal. This was Thor. There was more to him than she could ever know: his sense of danger; his potential to be sinister; how knowledgeable he actually was.

Thor, like she had admitted before, radiated energy. It made sense — he was the God of Thunder. In another way, a totally different way, Thor was oozing an aura that reminded her of death. His presence was misplaced and yet wholly natural at the same time. Her heart jumped, pumped, banged loudly, blood flooding her ears and her brain. This was the man she chose. He wasn’t even a man. He was an ancient power, with twice the undeveloped force waiting to be unleashed than what he even knew he was capable of.

How crucial was this dilemma, that he had to rewrite time?

If Thor couldn’t do it without her help… then how dangerous could she be?

…How dangerous did she want to be?

“I won’t patronize you.” Thor sat forward. Loki set his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I won’t order you about or make you feel small, either. However, you must understand that there is more at stake than you could ever fathom. I have seen empires fall, Fury. Do not let Midgard be one of them.” The grave gleam in his eyes, the solemn lines in his face… Darcy could barely breathe… 

“That’s enough, brother,” Loki ordered. “You’re scaring them. They need to trust us.”

Thor relaxed, closing his eyes. The energy in the room changed with him, the gloom leaving the air like a vacuum sucking up dust. “Ah.” He smiled, opening his eyes again. “Apologies. When one prepares for war, they’re stressed. I can only imagine what you must be going through. That’s why we’re here to help.”

What happened with Thor? What had he done? How was that even possible? Heck, Darcy knew Thor wasn’t going to be a teddy bear or anything like that, but never did it cross her mind for a second that he would ever use something so… so… 

She didn’t even know what.

“Excuse me,” she said, ducking her head with a swallow. “I need some air.” She left the room and passed through the halls, straight up to the deck. She needed some time to think about what she was doing, what she was getting herself into.

What if, by the end of all this, she died? What if she lost what made her herself? What if Thor hurt himself? What if someone else died? What would happen if she did marry Thor? What would happen if she didn’t? Would Asgard be everything she dreamt it would be? What if she couldn’t leave Earth?

All those what-if’s overwhelmed her. 

She wasn’t anything big or important. She wasn’t some ancient power smoldering in the dark shadows of history. She was just a girl.

What if she wasn’t enough?

The Ancient One sat down in a chair, folding her hands and resting her head on the wall. There were many scenarios which she could alter before Stephen Strange had a chance to interfere with them. The question was, which could be altered without sacrificing reality? Somehow, Mr. Strange had found every single loophole in the system and played it to his advantage. Had it been intentional? What was his game? What was his plan? 

Did he know about her?

He had recruited literal gods to help him in this madness he called a quest. Did he have any idea what he could do? What could happen? How many lives could be lost during the prevention of them being taken in the first place? 

Thanos was a Titan.

Stephen thought himself to be Zeus.

It was a tale as old as time: a fool pretending to be a hero for their own glory. It was always about him, and what better way to boost your own ego than to consort with immortals?

Immortals and gods; villains and heroes; fate and reality.

Stephen Strange and defying what was meant to happen.

The girl that he had deemed so important… he was right. She was pivotal. She had the power to influence immortals and gods. She only needed to speak, and the world could come crashing down. By owning the heart of one of the most powerful beings in existence, she, too, was on her way to being the most powerful herself. The Ancient One felt a prick of jealousy.

Darcy Lewis hadn’t earned her place. 

Stephen Strange hadn’t earned his, either. 

The Ancient One had to forego her own name just to lay her claim to her immortality, yet two amateurs had been given silent glory all by their own folly. She had given up everything, save her own freedom. They didn’t deserve this. They had no idea what they were meddling with.

Thanos was a necessary element of Time.

She couldn’t just let them delete him out of her last chance to live.

This wasn’t going to be anything wrong, no… It would simply be the survival of the fittest.

“Frigga?” Sif called. She was wearing another dress, and, oh, did she feel like a fool wearing it. She missed her brother-in-law and her husband dearly. She wanted to be fighting someone, but she didn’t want to fight the innocent. She needed a good sparring partner. The Warriors Three didn’t have the time while “training” the armies  —  she was grateful that they still trusted Thor’s judgement despite his obvious change in behavior over the past year. “My Queen?”

“Yes, darling?” Frigga asked, standing over a balcony rail near the garden. The courtyard was blooming, the sun was shining, but there was a sense of sadness in the air this morning. “Something preys on your mind. What is it?”

“Are you sure that we should allow the Allfather to remain on the throne? He’s hurting innocent people,” she whispered. She felt as if she was committing treason. Having actually done so in the past, it never felt quite as deadly as it did now. Odin, previously, had been someone to worship and hold high above the others. Now, he was a madman that Thor didn’t even trust. Loki’s own opinion of the man had always been lower than most, but now, Sif understood what the brothers had been seeing. 

She had spent these past few days keeping an eye on Odin when Thor was busy. When she felt as if she should be speaking to Loki, she went to visit her father-in-law. 

“Allfather, are you feeling well?” she asked, knocking on the door of his study. The old king was looking over an ancient map, holding his head as if it were in pain. She felt a small impulse to leave, to get out. Instead, Sif kept her ground. If she could stand against Laufey, she could survive anything Odin threw at her.

The Allfather jerked his head with a grunt. He stared her down, the eye contact laced with poison. His eyes were unnaturally blue… “I’m fine, daughter. Is there something you need?”

Frigga’s eyes widened. “You mustn’t say such things with unawares surrounding us, my dear. We can’t force him off the throne as long as he keeps Gungnir by his side or until Thor and Loki return.” She turned away from the balcony, taking Sif’s hands in hers. “It won’t be long before they do. No unnecessary deaths will come of this, I’m sure.”

“Yes, yes, I’m sure, too…” She trailed off, lost in her worry. Sif wasn’t sure. She couldn’t lie to herself. She had faced many hopeless battles before, but she had never been on the losing side  —  how do you lose when you die among your friends? She had led soldiers to war, to do many sinful things for the sake of Asgard. This time, she was opposing Asgard’s forces instead of leading them. How could you win against such an army? An army she had once raised from nothing would turn her to dust without realizing that they had harmed the Realms far more than helped. 

Scared and frightened warriors always lead to death. No Asgardian was going to let their homes be taken from them by mortals. They would surely take the stones, feeling that their place in the galaxy was secured once more. Insecure gods, that’s all they were. They were silly children competing for a prize that didn’t matter. Her heart was filling with weight; she didn’t know how long she could hold onto it. Sif still felt every life she had ever taken. Valhalla might have been a worthy place to go, but did she deserve it? Would they feel the blood on their hands? Would the dried, caked red still itch and scratch even years after it had been washed away?

“I wanted to speak with you, my lord,” the woman explained. She fixed her breast plate from poking into her middle. She rested her hand on the hilt of her sword. “About Thor and Loki.”

“What about my sons?” he growled. Sif’s muscles tensed. Did he not care? “Can’t you see I’m busy, girl?”

Girl? What gave him the right to talk to her as if she were a child? She had worked hard to be a lady of the court through effort alone. The last step she had taken wasn’t even her idea… not to mention, it would have happened very differently if Thor had never been banished. She was not a girl. Anger bubbled in her blood.

“I think you’re being unfair to them.” She stepped closer to the Allfather. “They deserve the throne and have earned it in more ways than you can imagine. Your useless war will cause Asgard’s collapse.”

“Ragnarok is millenia away.” Odin straightened, banging Gungnir on the floor in an attempt to intimidate her. “Watch your tongue, Lady Sif. Just because you’ve raised your status does not mean you’ve earned it. You’re taking after Loki… perhaps your union makes sense after all. Or, perhaps, you’ve listened to Thor for far too long.” He forced a laugh. Tinges of sadness and insanity filled his voice. “When my son disowns me, am I supposed to convince him to come home? Am I supposed to wish he would come back to my side? I think not.

“When my youngest isn’t even my son… Do I worry for him? There are no heirs to the throne, Lady Sif. I am all Asgard has left. Prepare for war. Do not worry for your husband any longer.”

“Could we do anything to stop the invasion on our own?” Sif continued. She wanted to ask about Odin’s words… she hoped it was a lie. How could Loki not be Odin’s son? “Could we pass our own desires off as his own orders? Odin cannot continue when so much hangs in the balance.”

“I’m afraid not, my dear. We would be found out before the plan could work.” Frigga closed her eyes. “The Allfather is not the man I once knew, it seems. I feel for you, you know. I didn’t marry Odin for love, either.” She smiled sadly. “But I have two beautiful sons and now… I have a daughter. I would do anything for the three of you.”

Sif bit her lip as she thought about her next words. “Frigga?”

The queen gave the soldier a mixture between a smile and a grimace. “Yes?”

“Is Loki… illegitimate?” she asked quietly. As she spoke, she was reminded of every time she had unnecessarily bullied Loki throughout the centuries. “Is that why he’s been ostracized by Odin?”

Frigga stiffened, blinked sixteen times, then dropped Sif’s hands slowly. The warrioress felt the sharp sting of betrayal. She understood she wasn’t as loyal as she could have been, but this… this was undeserved. Frigga was not as apolitical or as just as she wanted to seem. “I have things I need to complete, darling. We can talk about this later.”

“Do I not deserve the truth about my husband?” she pressed. She narrowed her eyes. Frigga took a step back, to which Sif matched by stepping closer. She knew she shouldn’t have worn the dress today. She knew she should have gone with Loki, fought the battle at the front instead of staying behind. His affections were slowly becoming as dangerous as they were contagious. She had to warn the Warriors Three. “Does he know the truth?”

The queen hesitated, scrambling for the right words. “No,” she answered finally. Was Loki oblivious to the reasons for his mistreatment? Why had she treated him the same way? Did Thor know? “He does not; he doesn’t need to know. He won’t until the throne has been filled.”

“What if there’s no heir because of this? What if Asgard falls because of the lies you’ve told the brothers?” Sif shouted. “Are they not your sons?” Frigga winced. Sif wasn’t going to lower her volume — Frigga had been through far more than a little scolding. She knew she wouldn’t be shamed for this. The Captain of the Guard wasn’t in the wrong this time. Unfortunately for her, she wasn’t careful enough. She just blurted, “Thor has disowned Odin! The Allfather no longer considers either of them an heir to the throne. He needs to be removed, whether it kills us or not!”

A few guards arched their brows. Frigga’s eyes flew open, enraged. “Watch your tone, Lady Sif! Such things shall not be tolerated!”

“Then imprison me. I will not stand with a man who’s willing to sacrifice his sons for his own glory.” Sif stood her ground. She stood her ground… She stood her ground… 

Frigga, under the glaring gaze of the guards of Asgard, was forced to choose: Would she support her husband? Or would she prove she was a traitor to her country? There weren’t enough supporters for a revolution to be justified. Thor and Loki weren’t home… “Consider this a warning,” she whispered. 

“Frigga — ”

A sharp strike met her cheek. Sif’s head fell back. Her elbows met the floor. She struggled to get back up on her feet, but failed. There was magic in that slap… 

“Before your warrior’s heart dooms us all,” Frigga whispered, kneeling next to her daughter-in-law, “you must learn when it’s time to lie and keep your head low. Loki will learn the truth when it’s time. Right now, when we must save the Nine Realms, it is not time. Gather Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg at sunset. Now.” The Queen stood up. Sif’s respect for her was still low, lower than it should have been. “Go. This is your only chance, Lady Sif.”

Sif stood, too. “I’ll be a better queen than a captain,” she murmured. “I’ll have an equal say to my kings. Tyranny will end in Asgard. I will die before I stop fighting. I will die before I lie the way you and Odin do.” She dusted herself off, nursing her slapped skin. “Thor and Loki deserve so much better, you know. They deserve a rest from this insanity that you give them.”

“Sif…”

“I’ll take my warning, my Queen. That does not mean I change my mind — as a warrior of Asgard, I’ve sworn to protect it.” With that, Sif turned and went to the nearest door.

She needed air.

After the debriefing, Thor realized Darcy had not returned from her break outside. He excused himself, standing and going up to the Helicarrier’s deck swiftly. Loki had warned him saying he had scared the mortals. His heart flipped as he realized he could have frightened Darcy. 

When he saw her, she was standing with her arms crossed against the rail. She was studying something on her finger, muttering along with whatever was playing through her little wires in her ears. He stood next to her, giving her about a foot of space between them. He copied her stance. The wind blew her little wisps of hair in all sorts of directions, giving her that cute, unprofessional look she could pull off so well. Darcy didn’t look at him. 

He looked at the sky. 

After what felt like forever, Darcy’s hand laid itself on top of hers. Thor laced their fingers together, stepping closer to her. Darcy rested her head against his shoulder. She took out her wires. 

“Can I ask you something?” she whispered. Thor wrapped his other arm around her waist, rubbing her side affectionately. 

“You can always ask me anything.” He looked down at her.

“Why do you love me?” she asked. That took him by surprise. He didn’t think she would ask such a question.

“It needs to be said?” he asked. “Darcy, you’re a wonder to watch and to study… you’re a wonderful friend. You make me happy; I feel like I could save the world for you. Isn’t that all I need?”

“Are you sure it’s not because I’m a stud?” she smirked. He laughed, kissing her hair. She tucked her arm around the small of his back. “I was starting to think I was gonna be a trophy wife.”

“You’re the girl for me, Darcy Lewis. No other reasons.” He exhaled gently. “Why do you ask, princess?”

“I just don’t want to be an obligation,” she answered. “Thor… you’re a god. You’re insane. You’ve got so much force beneath your rugged exterior, and I’m some twenty-five-year-old with a My Little Pony obsession. I don’t want to be a pet or a key to finishing a prophecy. I want to be wanted.” She smiled sadly and shrugged. “You did that scary thing in the debriefing room, and I — I felt like there was so much I would never know about you. That was freakier than your little trick.”

Thor studied her face, her eyes. They were reflecting much of what he was feeling that moment: wanting, searching, and confusion — there were different reasons, certainly, but they understood each other far more than they would have thought. “I love you, Darcy Lewis. Mortal, goddess; princess, commoner. You’re everything I want. Do you understand?” He turned, taking her hands in his and sinking to his knees. “Don’t ever feel as if you’re an object. Don’t ever think I’ll leave you. Darcy, you’re everything. Without you, I don’t think the world will be as bright, nor as loving as it has been.”

Darcy nodded. “Yeah, yeah… I understand.” She sniffed gently. “You’re going to make me cry, stop it. I love you too, lug nut. You’re getting really cheesy.”

“Yes, but you like it, don’t you?” he grinned.

Darcy laughed at that. “You got me there, Muscles.” She tugged him off his knees, pulling him into a hug. He held her tightly to his chest. “Are you ever going to kiss me?”

“On our wedding day,” he said with confidence. He hadn’t ever thought about getting married before, but it seemed so natural that he couldn’t help it. “I don’t want to waste something like our first kiss when it could mean the start of our new life together.”

“We’ve already kissed, though,” she laughed. “Not under truthful circumstances, but I mean…”

“I want our first real kiss to be meaningful, princess.” He kissed her knuckles. “We don’t need physical affection to let each other know how we feel.”

“You’re right.” She smiled. She pushed his chest with her fist. He held her hand against his heart, rubbing her fingers with his thumb. The universe seemed to orbit them for the first time. Time was drying like concrete, and the prince and his princess were happy where they were standing. 

Everything was perfect, right here, right now.

“Thor!” someone shouted. Stephen. What happened? His blood raced. “Thor, something’s wrong!”

Both Darcy and Thor turned. “What? What is it, Stephen?” Darcy asked. 

Stephen looked behind him, then back at the couple with his chest rising and falling as if he had seen Hell. “It’s Loki.”

Chapter Text

“It’s Loki,” Stephen breathed. Darcy looked up at the prince, waiting for his signal. Loki? In trouble? The etchings on his face told Thor everything he needed to know: whatever was happening, it was grave, or at the very least, it was quite unusual. Strange was terror personified. Thor’s belly turned to stone just by hearing the news; seeing the body language only set the stone on fire, burning with an icy flame. 

He let go of Darcy, silently moving to the crowd of heroes surrounding his brother. Loki was convulsing on the floor, thrashing and tugging at his own hair and groaning as if he were being tortured. He whimpered like a pup and kept mumbling one word over and over — Thor was too far away to make out what it was. Natasha was holding him as still as she could at his feet; Steve gripped Loki’s shoulders. Clint was trying to stop his waving hands from flying any farther, though failing miserably. 

The Scepter was gleaming brighter than the sun. 

It hadn’t ever done that before… had it?

Thor nudged Tony and Bruce out of the way, wedging between them with his shoulder. “What has happened here?” he demanded. Both scientists shook their heads and made space for the god. He saw the Scepter in his brother’s grasp, the convulsing, the look of involuntary pain on Loki’s features. Without thought, Thor removed the Scepter from his brother’s tight fingers and tossed it behind him. After a few moments, the God of Mischief stopped flailing and reduced his movements to spasms. He knelt at his younger brother’s side with soft caresses to his hair like their mother had done when they were younger. 

Anything to soothe.

“What went wrong?” Thor asked, keeping his gaze on the recovering man on the deck.

“The staff started doing the weird shiny thing,” Clint filled in. “He fell to the ground, screamed, did that.” He nodded at Loki twitching on the floor. Thor cradled his sibling, holding the other’s head to his chest. “It was almost the second we all walked out the door.”

“It was from the Scepter?” He looked over at the dying light. The emission was eerie, unnatural. He vaguely remembered when Banner had grabbed the Scepter so long ago… it didn’t even seem like a real memory now. It was an uncanny sense of déjà vu; a bad resemblance of the past and nothing more. He hadn’t felt quite so awake the last time he had been on this Helicarrier… 

“Yes, the Scepter,” Tony answered. “Did you think it was Kryptonite? Come on — look. Loki said that thing was too powerful, and now look at him, he’s paying for it — ”

“That is enough!” Thor said, quietly interrupting the billionaire. His temper was getting the better of him. Nobody mocked Loki. The god, careful to ease his sibling back down, stood and faced Stark like a proper man. “My brother is hurt; your comments are not helpful — nor are they humorous. Many on this aircraft would put up with your ridiculous nonsense because of your status, but I will not.”

Tony narrowed his eyes. “Are you threatening me, Point Break?” he gaped. “I did not just hear you threatening me.”

Thor flexed his jaw, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. He did not remember Stark being so irritating. “What does that even mean, Point Break?” he snarled, clenching his hammer’s handle until his fingers turned white. He cocked his head. “Shall I speak in a clearer tone for thee? This is far more than a threat, it is a promise — ”

“Doth Mother know you’re out frightening thy subjects?” Tony asked jeeringly. He stuck his hands in his armpits, spreading his legs apart as he mimicked Thor’s intimidating demeanor. “Huh? Do you talk like that on purpose? Because it’s making you sound dumb.”

The tension in the air tugged like a chord; a gate of anxiety opened in Thor’s chest. Tony was asking to be smitten like a mortal most feared. He wanted Thor to challenge him… and the god was about to punch his lights out if he said one more thing.

“Come on, guys, stop it — ,” Steve tried, setting a hand on Tony’s shoulder. Tony batted it away. Thor scoffed at the motion; how little his opinion of this Stark was becoming.

“No! No, I won’t. Sorry I’m not like you, Mr. Perfectly-Perfect-in-Every-Way, but I’m not going to let some Renaissance fair cosplayer push me around,” he snapped. Tony swayed on his feet, ducking down to the ground to dust off the cuffs of his jeans. Everyone had their eyes on him, now, gazing at his lips as he spoke, watching his back bend as he stood back up. He commanded attention from each person on the deck. “You wanna fight, tough guy?” he muttered at Thor, voice rough. “I can fight in more ways than one; I could fight you any day.”

“There will be no fighting,” Steve ordered. “No fighting each other!”

Stark rolled his eyes and swivelled his head at Steve. “Would you just shut up — ?”  

Darcy moved between Thor and Stark and spread her hands apart. “You stop it. NOW. This is the last thing we need! We’re supposed to be working together, aren’t we?”

A large hand swiped a golden item from Stark’s grasp. “Yes,” a husky voice called, “we are.” The group’s attention shifted to Loki, sweaty and weary from his episode on the floor. He was resting against Stephen. In his hands was the Scepter; it was dimming rapidly with each second of silence that passed. 

“Did… Did I pick that up?” Tony squeaked. 

“Yes.” Loki moved with Strange over to Stark (despite Stephen’s warnings to “stop and take it slow, numbskull!”). “You picked it up, showing your true lust for power.” Tony’s expression slacked. The inventor didn’t show any reaction or movement as Loki continued. “You know, it would help, for starters, if the two of you weren’t fueling this monstrosity by picking it up.” He shot spikes with his eyes to Thor. “It thrives off of intense emotion and violent thought in its contraption; I thought you would have known better, brother, especially since the last time I was using it I was under Thanos’s thumb.”

There was a beat. A blanket of shame fell over the Avengers, especially Thor. Tony still hadn’t moved. Nat, Steve, Banner, and Barton held their stances rigidly. Nat cleared her throat. Steve was staring at his toes. 

Thor, ever the foolish, hadn’t ever heard about being in Thanos’s control. It certainly explained everything… he had thought before… 

“Why did you collapse, brother?” the prince asked quietly. 

Loki pressed his lips together, shifting from one foot to the other. He parted from Stephen’s support. Strange rolled his eyes, despite his clear concern, but said nothing. Darcy held Thor and Loki’s hand — the silent reminder that they were family, that they were safe right now. “I had a vision of Sif. It doesn’t matter, right now.” He pulled them toward the door, to go back inside. “Come. Now isn’t the time to discuss whatever that ridiculous rock showed me.”

“Brother — ” 

“That is enough, Thor,” Loki reprimanded. His tone was almost identical to Odin’s. Hela was right, all those months ago: Loki did sound like their father… like Odin. “We can discuss it further another time. Right now, it’s imperative that we find a way to mimic Asgard’s play; develop a plan.”

Thor nodded in agreement, trying to shake the bad feeling that had overtaken him. “You’re right, brother.” He combed his fingers through his hair. “We must prepare.”

“Frigga, my queen,” the Allfather greeted. His wife and her entourage entered the throne room, feet in sync. He flexed his fingers around his staff. He stood from his seat, but didn’t move. “Have you the progress of the armies?”

“Yes, my lord,” the queen said. She forced a smile, picked at her hands. Her tells. Odin frowned. He was to be disappointed, then. “The armies are finding the pattern of Midgardian combat difficult; our strike should be delivered by tomorrow night.”

“I cannot believe this,” Odin grunted, throwing Gungnir down against the tile floor. The throne room was vacant, save Queen Frigga, Lady Sif, a few sentries, and the Warriors Three, who all jumped from the sudden noise. Light from the mid-day sun filtered through the windows, bringing the palace to a state of serenity to the stranger. To the household, they knew it meant whatever punishment was about to come would be in broad daylight. “Do you truly expect me to believe this report? Can we not send the first troops to Midgard by dusk?”

“I’m afraid not, my lord,” Frigga whispered. She didn’t lift her eyes much farther than the steps next to Odin’s feet. The Warriors Three were frozen in their kneeling stance; Lady Sif kept her head deeply bowed. They were afraid of him. They disrespected him in secret, but were terrified of him in public — the Allfather knew it. He never thought his own wife would be the ringleader. “The troops are trying to plot the perfect invasion. If my lord desires the Tesseract, the Eye, and the Mind Stone, we cannot be hasty nor rash.”

“Hasty? Rash? My queen, is that what you think of me?” Odin accused. He swept his eyes over the five people in front of him. Sif was learning to control her temper… but that wasn’t what he was surveying. “Do you think your husband to be a reckless fool? To be heartless? A monster?”

“My lord — ,” Frigga tried. Odin threw down Gungnir violently. 

Thanos would destroy them all. He would leave no stone unturned, no barren moon unchecked if Odin failed. Billions, trillions would die. Did she not know he was trying to save Asgard? That he was doing this for her?

“Do not speak!” he spat. Frigga pressed her lips together; her fingers gripped her skirts tightly. “Keep your tongue to yourself. Lord Thor’s mutinous mouth… Prince Loki’s tricks and devious blackmail… I should have known it would be your own teachings, Frigga.”

Frigga squeezed her eyes closed. A tear slipped down. Odin’s chest swelled with a blacker sense of satisfaction — her sons were a reflection of her, after all. She spent the most time with them. She raised them. She was at fault, and she could suffer with the knowledge of her failings. He would not waste another moment trying to cover it up.

Fandral lifted his head, a quizzical expression was etched upon his face. Out of the five imbeciles in Odin’s throne room, he was the only one who dared to meet the Allfather’s eyes. Foolish boy. “Lord Thor?” he asked. “He’s, at the very most, a king; the very least, he’s the Crown Prince. Why has he been demoted?”

“Rebellion should not be rewarded; betrayal and denial of one’s father is not appraised.” Odin stepped down from the throne. “Lord Fandral, do you support Lord Thor?”

“I would follow my brother in arms to the ends of the Universe,” Fandral swore. His nose crinkled with his snarl. A low gasp came from the queen, but all ignored it. Odin knew it was a ploy to plead for forgiveness. “Banish me, if need be; you’ll only lose the best swordsman in Asgard.”

“Watch your tone,” Odin advised. “You’re speaking to your king.”

“I see no king.” Fandral stood up. Volstagg lifted his head, as did Hogun. Odin scoffed. Did this child think he was being brave? Did Thor’s idiocy contaminate so many individuals that even the greatest warriors in the realm felt the need to turn traitor? “I only see a coward who wears a crown. As long as you sit upon the throne, Odin, there is no king. Only a tyrant!”

Volstagg and Hogun gaped. Surely they would have joined in if they weren’t fearing for their lives this very moment.

Odin looked to Sif, watching her intently. If she reacted — if she even flinched to help these traitors — it would give him all the reason to send her away. He could send away his disappointing daughter-in-law; he could punish Loki for his sins once and for all. She already knew too much about the Jotun, about Loki, about this family. Had she just married Thor and had been a good girl, she would have been happier. Safer. After all, if she got hurt… Well, Odin wouldn’t be to blame. He had forewarned her.

But… all the same. One couldn’t expect much of those who loved the frost giants.

“If that is what you think… then perhaps I don’t need the finest swordsman in Asgard.” Odin inhaled slowly. All of his efforts were showing themselves to be useless. His children, his children’s friends, and his wife were all prancing around in their true colors like a peacock fanning his plumage. How could a man trust anyone when his family hated him? “Guards.” Sentries marched up toward the Warriors Three. Odin sighed, shaking his head. “Arrest this man. I want him whipped fifty times over; after that… keep him in the dungeons. I shall determine a further punishment if there’s need.” He waved his hand in dismissal. “Leave me.”

The sentries grabbed, disarmed, and pulled Fandral out of the room. Sif kept as still as she could. Odin was surprised; impressed. This girl was learning her place? She was truly a fast learner.

“Did you not hear me?” Odin asked. “I said, ‘Leave me.’”

Frigga took Hogun and Volstagg’s hands, waving to Sif to follow suit. Thanos would be expecting a full surrender… if he couldn’t persuade the leader of his army to cooperate with his plan, then the Nine Realms were already destroyed. “Come, come. Listen to the Allfather.” They all joined together, heading toward the double doors. Frigga was still whispering to the three young adults. “Leave His Majesty alone.”

“Lady Sif must stay,” he called. The Captain of the Guard stilled. Did she fear him? Did she think she would be killed if she didn’t listen? Or was she trying to save her darling husband and brother-in-law? Was she cowardly? Or was she harebrained and irrational?

The queen, Lord Volstagg, and Lord Hogun filed out of the doors. When they closed, Sif turned to face the Allfather. She had no trouble meeting his gaze in private. 

How queer.

“My lord?” she asked, her voice low. She was still wearing that silly dress, wearing her hair behind her back like a princess. Had the attire been a gift from Loki? Did she clothe herself as royalty to impress her husband when he returned? Or perhaps because she wanted to impress the Allfather? Or because she fancied herself the next queen? Because she wished to overthrow him? 

“Should you wish to keep your place as Captain of the Guard, Lady Sif,” Odin began darkly, “you’ll do well to listen to what I’m about to tell you.” He lifted his head high. “Do you understand?”

The lady took a moment to gather her thoughts. The silence grew tense, littering itself with fear and Odin’s new intentions. This would be the greatest test of loyalty — if she gave the right answer, her entire future would be secured. “Yes,” she said finally. “I understand, Allfather.”

Odin brought her down to the throne’s steps. He laid the staff at his feet, sitting down on a stair and bringing Sif down with him. He held her hands in his. The lady’s frame went taut; his intimidation was still useful after all. “Do you love Prince Loki?” he asked. “I saw no love leading up to your betrothal. I saw no love during the preparation for your wedding.”

“Stop it,” Sif pleaded. She tried to tug her hands away, but Odin tightened his hold. She ducked her head.

Ah. 

Odin leaned in, putting his lips next to her ear. Without a moment of hesitation, he hissed, “You must have wed my son for one of two reasons, then: you wanted to secure your position, or you wanted to find a way to upgrade it.”

“No!” she protested. She struggled to tear her hands away, to escape. “No, you know not of what you speak!”

“Surely there’s no way for someone of your stature to marry a frost giant, is there?” he continued. “If Loki truly loved you, my lady, you would have known already. If you were to bear children, they would be half-Jotun. They would be monsters. And if word got out that your beloved was such a beast…”

“Stop it!” she roared. Odin let go of her. The Captain picked up her skirts, moving away from him as fast as she could. “Stop it, stop! I wish to hear no more! My husband is not a monster.”

“Ask him yourself, Lady Sif. Ask your husband.”

“What are your demands?” she snapped.

“Divorce Prince Loki,” he answered. He picked up Gungnir, watching the life drain out of Sif’s eyes. The Allfather didn’t know if he had ever seen tears in the woman’s eyes, but now he had. He was relishing the victory. “And kill Lord Thor. If my troops are not sent to Midgard before tomorrow’s sunset… I’ll execute Fandral and your husband.”

“…yes, my lord,” she whispered. 

“You’re dismissed,” he said. She took no time to leave.

He had won this battle. He felt in control.

The war was underway.

Stephen slapped a file onto the debriefing table for Thor. “Read that quickly,” he instructed. “We need to make it to New York Central Park by dusk tomorrow, so figure out who’s the strongest and who’s the smartest without arguing. No time should be wasted. Steve?”

“Yes, sir?” Rogers asked. 

“Take Natasha and Barton down to the south side of the city; scope it out, memorize it. Find this address and knock on the door,” Strange continued, sliding a scribbled code over to the soldier. “That’s where Christina Palmer lives. She’s an excellent medic; you can trust her.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Thor, Darcy, Loki?”

“Yes, brother?”

“Go to Stark Tower with Tony and prepare to intercept Sif and the other warriors. Take out the generals and the rest of the armies will be chaos incarnate — don’t do that. Instead, try and round them up and disarm them.”

“We know how to fight,” Loki said. “Just let us do what we do best. What shall we worry about team-wise?”

“Try and keep Tony and Bruce alive,” he said. “That’s all we need. Now… about the Mind Stone and the Tesseract. We need them both by the time this battle is over, otherwise we’re going to have to try a lot harder to curb this butterfly effect.”

“Understood,” Darcy chirped.

“Okay, Avengers,” Steve chimed in. “Are we ready?”

There was a resounding “yes,” from the table. 

“Okay, then,” he said. “Disassemble.”

Chapter Text

Sif couldn’t rip the thought out of her brain. What was she thinking, agreeing to help Odin? He asked the worst thing she could have imagined: Divorce Prince Loki. She would not have admitted it a year ago, but she had looked forward to having Loki by her side. Breaking his heart was out of the question. It was the greatest sin of all time to break someone’s heart without true cause. Her own heart was breaking. She could not leave her husband — she wouldn’t lower herself to be like Haldor, to leave someone who loved her dearly, to chuck aside a person’s heart as if it was spoiled food. She thought back to how her last lover… no, her lover, there was no last… had been swept away and killed. She would never do that to Loki.

She thought of the next words the Allfather had spoken: Kill Lord Thor.  

She couldn’t kill her brother. That’s what he was now, and that’s what he always was. He was her brother in arms, her brother in soul, and her brother by law. She didn’t regret marrying Loki. In fact, she was rather looking forward to it when it meant she could finally be Thor’s sister. Although, somewhere along the line she found herself growing excited for her own wedding day for reasons beyond establishing kinship. Being comfortable as promised to the God of Mischief hardly crossed her mind until a day when her betrothed was blabbering about whatever book he had been reading. 

Her chest squeezed as she remembered.

“It’s called Epiphany of the Moon, darling,” he began. It had been a drowsy day, that day, so before Sif could even protest, Loki had swept her away to the library to play book club. At first, she thought it was ridiculous, but his excited smile only made it harder to say no. She wasn’t the biggest reader, but she had several books on her shelf for when she couldn’t train, or when she was bedridden, or too tired from war. Loki pressed a thick-spined, well-used story in her hands. “It’s about a soldier who returns from battle and woos the innkeeper’s daughter. They start out absolutely despising each other, but eventually learn they are more similar than they might have thought. Kindred spirits, you could say. Soulmates.”

Sif arched a slender brow, wetting her lips to prevent the amused tug of her lips from getting any wider. “I did not take you to be the type for a love story, Odinson. Or a believer in soulmates, at that!” she chuckled. “Are you recommending I read this?”

“Oh, my sweet, I am demanding you read this.” Loki laughed good-naturedly. He seemed genuinely happy. Sif found great satisfaction in her friend’s happiness, she found. “It might teach you a thing or two — it was written by a Vanir citizen.” Loki’s long, slender finger pointed to the cover, right over where the author’s name was written in gold. Sif followed his arm with her eyes, resting her gaze on his face. It was calm, relaxed, and hazed with a softness the warrioress hadn’t noticed before. “When Thor returns for the evening meal, I should like at least five chapters read.”

“That’s impossible,” she murmured. She found herself staring. Loki caught her but didn’t do much more than smile in return. “How can I read five chapters when we have to plan for our wedding? Search for the Stones? Ask the Allmother how to deliver the timeline to safety?”

“You worry about our wedding, darling?” Loki hummed. He reached out, brushing hair out of her face. She batted his hand away. The prince only laughed. “I never took you for the type for a love story, Sif. Or a bride, at that.”

“Oh, stop it. Being your wife isn’t the worst that could happen to me.” Sif tucked the book under her arm. She found she meant the words, which was twice as surprising as even accepting his proposal. “Tell me more about this Epiphany of the Moon story.”

Loki’s face lit up once more. He took her hand, tugging her down the library, giving her every detail about the novel.

A love story. They were not a love story. Sif wouldn’t call herself in love with Loki, yet she knew of his feelings. Whether or not their marriage was strictly platonic, political, she knew he had fallen for her. That only complicated things.

Yet, here she was, unable to tear him from her mind.

Everything else she had heard Odin say darted around the crevices of her head like sickly fish. Left, right; left, right. Lingering where they should not. Loki? Jotun? It was impossible. It was downright horrific; nightmarish. Yet… in some sense… it would answer many things about her husband. 

“…if word got out that your beloved was such a beast…”

She needed to find him and help him. Volstagg and Hogun would deploy the armies by sundown if she asked them to. She couldn’t use the Bi-Frost without Odin knowing… but she knew someone else who could help her save her family. Well, it was technically his family, now, too. 

She got up from the ground where she had been pondering. She hadn’t spoken to him a good majority of her wedding preparations, but her brother would be useful. If it was for Asgard, there would be no refusal from him. She began walking briskly to find him. As the wife of Loki, as the Captain of the Guard, no one would question her. Why did she feel as if she would be caught?

Walking through the corridors of the palace, outside of the gates, and riding her horse down the glistening bridge, Sif mustered up every ounce of courage she ever carried. She walked right into the Bi-Frost.

“Brother,” she called. She planted her two feet firmly. “I need your help.”

Heimdall hummed. “Sister. I cannot kill your husband for you,” he said with a small pinch of humor. “I’m afraid the Allfather wouldn’t like his last chance at an heir decimated before he was put to use. Do you?” The gatekeeper offered his younger sibling a grin.

“That’s not why I am here,” she said. She felt her face growing hot. Her arms felt cold. “My husband treats me well, I’ll have you know. For being an all-seeing protector, you are very unobservant.” She walked closer. “I need to find a way to go to Midgard without detection. I have to save them. I have to save my family.”

“Are we not family, little sister?” he asked. He slowly turned his head, looking down at her with wisdom. “Who does it benefit if I let you do this?”

“Asgard,” she answered. “As you said, Loki is the heir apparent; Thor has been disowned. I’ve been ordered to kill him.” She hoped he could see the desperation she felt. If Heimdall ever knew Sif, he would see it… wouldn’t he? “What will Asgard be without its kings?”

Heimdall smirked, then countered, “What will my sister be without her true love?”

“I’ve already lost him,” she snapped. 

“I speak not of Haldor,” Heimdall grunted. He moved off of his watch pedestal. “Do not pretend to be ignorant of whom I speak. The Allfather claims he saw no love between you and him leading up to your marriage; only a fool could not see the way you looked at your fiancé. It would explain why your husband thinks he needs to woo you.” 

Sif wanted to protest again, though she couldn’t decide whether or not to plead her case of still loving Haldor or scold Heimdall for suggesting her spouse was an imbecile. She opened and closed her mouth. Finally, she said, “I need you to do this for me, brother.”

Heimdall set his hand on her shoulder, guiding her to the back of the Bi-Frost’s hub. “I can help you, Sif, but I cannot do it for you. There are spells that can capture the essence of the Tesseract and bring you wherever you wish to be… I would teach you to use Loki’s tunnels to other realms, but I have not found them, yet.”

“Let us make a good time of this,” she whispered. “I don’t know how much longer we can stall the Allfather’s order.”

“I agree.” Heimdall looked in his sister’s eyes, telepathically relaying silent love and hope. “Let’s get started.”

“This is the craziest thing I’ve ever done,” Clint whispered into Thor’s ear. Stephen had distributed earpieces before they separated  —  the easiest way to keep communication between the team despite the distance. The prince hated having something wedged in his cartilage despite how effective it was proving to be. “I can’t believe we’re going to be fighting aliens… Nothing in the job description ever said anything about real aliens.”   

“Has this man ever been in an inter-realm war?” Loki whispered to his brother. Thor shrugged. They crouched behind a sofa in wait for something in the sky to open. Darcy was in front of Thor, who was next to Loki, who was in front of Tony and Bruce. The forced patience was killing them all. Darcy was holding onto his arm tightly. After tonight, after tomorrow, who knew who would be alive?

What happened if the Asgardians didn’t start their invasion with New York? What if things had changed so much that deadly consequences would occur? What if they lost each other when the fight was over?

“You’re freaking out about aliens? Son, I just came out of the ice,” Captain America scoffed. “It only makes sense that there are aliens.” Thor chuckled, unable to help himself from entering the conversation.

“You’re inexperienced, but you won’t be hereafter,” Thor said back to the other team. Nat hummed with positivity, but Clint and Steve groaned. A spy and a war hero had plenty of experience in battle, yes, but how many times did one have a chance to fight the Chitauri? “I think we’ll win. Just be brave; focus on stopping the invasion.”

“‘Think’?” Darcy scoffed. “Sparkles, you’ve got all the firepower Earth needs. There is no ‘think.’” She affectionately slugged his arm. Thor caught her fist, holding it gently. “I can’t wait for your victory, babe.”

“Our victory, darling.” He grinned at his beloved. Loki rolled his eyes despite the soft smile he wore. Banner made a noise of disgust in the background. Tony’s eyes went wider than saucers. Suddenly, the silence was not so silent anymore. 

“When Pepper finds out what I’m doing…,” Tony lamented. He wiped his face and shook his foot back and forth. Thor remembered vaguely that Stark’s lover was not as supportive of the Iron Man career as Darcy was of Thor’s space traveling. “Hey, Kris Kringle, what did you mean when you said I had a… a ‘lust for power’?”

“Just that,” Loki answered, his voice wise and wary. He ran his thumbs along themselves, staring at the floor. “Everyone has a horrid trait. Don’t let it consume you — whether it be power, adoration, beauty… peace. You lack control; conviction. Now hush — we don’t want to speak at the wrong time. Asgard’s forces will arrive any moment.”

“Conviction? I have conviction!” Stark snapped quietly. He scooted closer toward the god. His face was growing taut; red. A glow penetrated the fabric on his chest. “Why do you think I’m Iron Man? Just so I can prance around and play hero? I’m Iron Man because people need me — ”

“No one needs you; no one out there. What they need is a selfless act.”

“Loki — ,” Thor started, trying to shush his brother. This was another fight. They were not supposed to fight. They couldn’t fight. It would lead to far more destruction to split apart the team before they even had a chance to bond. 

Loki raised a finger. The hairs on the back of Thor’s neck prickled with electricity. “No, Thor; he must hear this.”

“Guys,” Darcy warned. “What did we just go over with Stephen?”

Loki glared. “Darcy — ”

“Don’t even, Loki. Have you heard from Sif, yet? Because it would really help a lot if we knew the exact time Asgard was bringing their alien army,” she said authoritatively. She stuck her finger out like a scolding mother. If Loki was a cat, his ears would slide back in fear. “If I remember correctly, that’s why we’re here — not to lecture a billionaire with useful toys.”

Thor sighed deeply, pulling Darcy to his chest. “Have I told you I love you?”

She grinned and nodded. “You have.”

“Guys, stop,” Bruce pleaded. He moved closer to Tony and Loki, crawling like a crab. “There are aliens on the way, remember? You can get goo-goo with each other later!”

“Yeah,” Nat’s voice buzzed through Thor’s earpiece. “Your lovey-dovey flirting is a bit distracting.”

“Please; as if you and the Patriot haven’t had some kind of fuzzy banter, either,” Clint scoffed. “It’s gross. Honestly, I’d cook you two Italian right here and now if we weren’t about to fight somebody.”

Loki pressed the earpiece to activate it. “You are aware you’re going to be meeting Strange’s girlfriend, aren’t you? Love is the most natural thing in the Universe; just embrace it — ”

Thor turned his piece off, for the time being, ignoring whatever words came out of Loki’s mouth in response to the banter. He didn’t want to hear the bickering between the team. He wanted to get rid of the Chitauri. He wanted to prove to Odin Earth was safe, take the throne and protect his Darcy and the Universe the right way. As Allfather, he might have caused more damage without Loki’s interference. As the simple prince, he had no means of saving anyone.

Any moment now, Sif would bring the Warriors Three to New York. Any moment, the battle would be underway; they just needed to know when that moment was… 

“Loki?” he asked. Suddenly, Thor had an idea. He hoped Loki’s usual mischief would prove him correct. After all, this was Loki. He was the God of Mischief, the harbinger of laughter and tricks. “Brother, what did you do with the Tesseract? Did you take it?”

“The Tesseract?” Loki hummed. He pat down his pockets, searching himself. Thor thought back to Ragnarok, how Loki had kept the Infinity Stone on himself after the death of the realm. Had he done the same thing again? “I can’t… Oh. I had almost forgotten that I stole it from Fury.” He materialized the object in his hand, presenting it to the rest of them. “Why do you need it? They aren’t here, yet — ”

The Cube began to vibrate in the trickster’s fingers, silencing him. Tony and Bruce backed away. Darcy gasped loudly. Thor had seen many peculiar things from the Tesseract, but this would have to be a first.

“Drop it,” Thor ordered. “Drop it, Loki.”

Loki set it on the ground, pushing it away. “That isn’t good,” he said, grimacing. 

The Cube began glowing, vibrating, and shaking so much it was almost jumping off the tile.

“Oh, that can’t be good,” Darcy mumbled. She held onto Thor tighter. “Brace yourself…” The earpieces started whining. Thor picked his out and threw it away. Loki, Tony, and Bruce did the same. The prince took his beloved’s out, then secured her in his grasp. She gripped his arms tightly. The men hooked their legs together, quickly covering their ears. Bruce’s skin was turning green… 

“Brace yourself!” Thor shouted to the others, above the noise that had suddenly multiplied by a hundred-thousand. Light began pulsing from the Stone, faster, faster, and faster, and faster, and faster, and then — 

“The Tesseract?” Strange heard through his earpiece. Loki continued after a moment. The doctor pinched his nose as he sat in the car with Rogers, Barton, and Romanoff. The conversation was coming through the radio as they traveled to Christine Palmer’s apartment. Captain America rolled his eyes as Loki spoke. “I can’t… Oh. I had almost forgotten that I stole it from Fury. Why do you need it? They aren’t here, yet — ”

Static cut the trickster off. Barton murmured profanities under his breath. Steve said something Stephen couldn’t understand. Nat reached over, hit the old stereo about three times, then returned to the back seat. The radio kept its snowy sound, no change. Stephen turned the dial once or twice. Nothing. He pressed a few buttons. Nada.

Sighs filled the car. 

“We lost them,” Strange said. He sat back, playing with a small ball of useless magic in his hands. Romanoff rested against Cap. Barton took a right turn at the wheel. “Let’s hope it’s just the Cube interfering with the connection, nothing else. As of right now, we assume they’re alive.”

“Strange, what if they’re compromised?” Nat asked. She ran a hand through her hair, clicking her disabled gun to fill the silence. Clint turned the radio off. Stephen’s tongue felt fat in his mouth; he couldn’t bring himself to answer the spy. What if they died? What if he already lost? What if Thor and Loki and Darcy were dead, and he couldn’t have helped them? “What if the aliens are here, already?”

“They’re fine,” he insisted, more for himself than for Natasha, “and they’ll be there when we get back. We have to get Doctor Palmer. She’ll be able to prep the hospitals and set up emergency infirmaries once the battles are underway.”

“So… your girl, huh?” Steve asked. “I didn’t know a wizard would be embarrassed about a dame.”

“We don’t call them dames anymore, dinosaur,” Strange grouched under his breath. He looked behind him to see the soldier and the spy sitting rigidly. He hoped against hope this alliance was enough to stop the Mad Titan. “Do you guys ever relax?”

“No; why? Are you getting stressed, Potter?” Nat asked, popping something into her mouth. There was food? When did they get food in the car? “Have you ever fought before?”

“I saved the world from a planet-eating monster single-handedly,” he responded with a boast. “Of course, I’ve fought before. I’ve never lost my family all in one go, though.” He shook his head. He remembered his sister, vaguely, how he became a doctor so no one would die without his attempts at saving them… He could still see her drowning face. Now, Thor, Loki, Darcy, and Stark, and Banner were either dead or about to die. “Just because you’re an international intelligence agent doesn’t mean you’re the only experienced person.”

“Just because you’re the smartest person doesn’t mean you’re the best choice, either,” Clint mumbled. He messed with his hearing aids. “Stop arguing; we’re all worried. We’re all at risk of losing people, Doctor Strange.”

He nodded. “Yeah. You’re right.” He bit his finger. “Take a left, there.”

Blinding white overtook the whole room. Loki’s heart was hammering. He felt like he had been caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to; he felt as if Thanos had found him after all. The vibration from the Infinity Stone stopped, but he didn’t dare open his eyes. He didn’t hear any gasping, though everyone else’s lack of a reaction was enough of one. He didn’t hear any footsteps, but he felt the breathing change around him. His ears were ringing. His throat was tight. He dug his fingers into the sides of his tunic. 

He wasn’t ready to die.

“There you are,” the deadliest voice he ever heard growled. He tensed. His eyes flew open. Storming right at him was a nightmare made real. A minion of his worst dreams. He backed further into the back of the sofa, trying to shield himself from the oncoming attack. “Did you really think you could do this to me?”

“Please, please, I swear I — ,” he tried, gasping as strong, feminine hands yanked him up and stood him up. He looked both to his brother and then to his newfound friends, hoping for help against the one person who could ask him to do anything and he would comply. “You must understand, I was trying to — ”

Lips smashed against his and shut him up instantly. The frost giant melted, responding to the kiss in kind and letting his hands rest on his wife’s hips. Sif kept a firm grip on his lapel as she stood on her tiptoes, either to keep him from falling or to make sure he wouldn’t be out of reach. He bent down, so lost in the sudden affection that when he tried to deepen it he didn’t know how to operate when the Captain pulled away.

“You knew you were illegitimate and you didn’t tell me! And don’t deny it; I know you knew,” she scolded. “Odin wants you back on Asgard for me to keep my place as Captain: we are to divorce upon your return and I must execute Thor.”

“Well, that was one hell of a goodbye,” Loki said, dreamy and dazed. “When will Asgard’s armies come?”

“That’s what you’re asking?” Thor asked in a crippling, booming loud voice. Loki tore his attention away from Sif and turned to his brother. He helped Darcy to her feet. Tony and Bruce still sat in awe. Tony was the first to stand up. “You’re not asking how she got here? Or why I am supposed to be executed and your marriage voided?”

“Who am I to ask the woman what Odin thinks when we could just as easily do what we want?” he asked. “We can defeat Asgard’s army — ”

“— Return home victorious —,” Sif continued.

“— And take our places as the kings of the realm,” Loki finished. He nodded to his wife. “You are on my wavelength, my darling. Did you miss me?”

“Oh, shut up.” She rolled her eyes. She waved to Darcy. In Loki’s opinion, the fair interest of Thor’s was rather quiet. Whatever had conspired between the two of them, it must have been somewhat serious. Loki held Sif to his side as she continued speaking. “Thor, as for how I got here, my brother helped direct his travelling spells through the Tesseract to my desired location.”

“Brother?” Loki asked. He laughed lightly. “What, is your brother some sort of space lizard?”

“No, Loki, my brother is Heimdall.”

Loki stopped breathing. Thor gasped, laughing at his brother’s expression, though quickly stopped once Darcy shot him a glare. Loki was not at all amused. He wasn’t feeling the fun. He felt like a fool, and all the bubbly feelings that had once been ready to burst inside him evaporated and left him feeling vacant and empty. Heimdall was his in-law. “…Oo-de-lally…”

“What?” Sif scrunched up her nose. “Did you not know before? It was not some secret to be kept; I thought it common knowledge.”

“I’m alive,” he murmured. “I’m alive! That must mean…”

“It means nothing, probably,” Tony snarked behind him. “Who is this? Is this the wife you were talking about? She’s hot, but can she help us?”

“I would not recommend talking about Sif that way,” Darcy said before Loki could open his mouth. 

“Why? Afraid the God of Spazzing is going to kill me?” he asked. He crossed his arms. Was this man still hurt about being called controlling? “Or are you going to sic Point Break on me?” 

“She wouldn’t recommend it,” Sif barked, “because I will kill you.” She stomped over to the Iron Man. Though she was only an inch taller, it seemed as if she was towering above the man. Loki’s lip curled. “I do not know who you are, mortal, but I will not be spoken of that way. I am the only thing keeping you alive, do you understand? Your desolate little planet would have been destroyed already if I — ”

Quickly realizing her fingers were reaching for her sword, Loki dashed over and set a hand on Sif’s shoulder to pull her away. She did not tear her eyes from Stark. “My love, perhaps we shouldn’t bully the mortals before the war begins. We wouldn’t like to insult our allies, hmm?” He took a few steps back. He put his other hand on her side to calm her. “Apologize, and we can talk strategy.”

“But he — !” she protested. 

“Apologize.”

“Sorry,” she said. She didn’t mean it. Loki didn’t want to push her, especially with the eventual talk of his heritage coming up at home. Instead, he separated the two.

“My love, this is Anthony Stark, titled Iron Man. Beside him is Doctor Bruce Banner… the, erm, Hulk.” He cleared his throat. Stark waved. Broken glass came to mind. Banner wiggled his fingers nervously. Loki remembered well, standing in this room and being thrown about after attempting to call the Hulk an animal. Lady Time was a cruel mistress, allowing him to keep his memories of the previous reality. His fear was still as strong as before. “Stephen Strange will meet us when the armies come. By the way, when will they come? Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun?”

“They will arrive at sunset,” the Captain answered. She pulled a dagger from Loki’s scabbard. She flipped it, brandished it. How peculiar that this woman was choosing to be so affectionate the day they could die. Loki wondered if her own expressions of love were what drew his attention in. Then, with sudden realization, he found himself elated at the fact he didn’t have to win her favor after all. “At least, Volstagg and Hogun will. Fandral is in prison at the moment. He called Odin a coward. Odin also said you were Jotun.” 

Loki rubbed her back, looking anywhere but her. “Let’s save personal conversations for when we return home, Sif. We need to talk about the Chitauri.”

“Get explaining,” Darcy said. She moved to hug Sif tightly, who accepted the embrace. Thor followed close behind and hugged her, too. Tony and Banner inched over, shaking hands and exchanging apologies briefly. “We’re running out of time.”

“Okay. So, it all began with the Mad Titan…”

Chapter Text

Stephen knocked on the apartment door he never thought he’d visit again. His bones vibrated under his skin. Magic coursed through his veins. His hands ached. “Christine?” he called, mentally kicking himself in the backside. He needed to stay focused, but the only thing bombarding his brain was how much of a jerk he had been to her in the past… the future… whatever it was! He wished Time hadn’t changed so much — thinking back, he should have picked anybody else but his brothers… “Hey, Christine, are you home?”

“Stephen?” a voice on the other side of the door answered. Strange sighed in relief. Out of the corner of his eye, Steve and Nat both shrugged at each other in confusion. Clint was stiller than a statue with his gaze fixed on Strange. That made him nervous. He never performed well under observation, which was hilarious considering he was one of the best neurosurgeons in the country. He cleared his throat. Christine continued, “The door is unlocked, just walk right in!”

Strange rolled his neck, turning the knob and pushing the door open. The smell of perfume hit his nose, first. The second smell was the familiar hand sanitizer that Chrstine wore — she had said the scent was Apple Raspberry. “I’ve brought some friends of mine; I hope you don’t mind. Uh, we need your help, Chris.”

Christine walked out, tightening her ponytail as she stopped in front of the two spies, the doctor, and the captain. “Oh! I see you did. Which one is hurt?” Her eyebrows drew together in the familiar, adorable worry she so-often wore. “Do I need to get a first aid kit?”

“No one is hurt — not yet,” Stephen vaguely explained. He rushed to hug Christine, who quickly reciprocated. His panic was rising faster than it ever had before. What if he lost Christine before it was time? What if her future was cut off right here? Would Time cement before he had a chance to fix things? “We need you to come with us… right now.”

Christine pulled back from him. “Come with you to…?” She nodded for him to finish her query. Strange resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“To Midtown Manhattan. If we play our cards right, we’re going to save a lot of lives.” 

Christine turned to stone. “Why does it sound like there’s going to be a repeat of Nine-Eleven?”

“What’s Nine-Eleven, again?” Steve whispered behind the doctor. Christine’s face slacked in terror. Fear filled the air. Strange wiped his mouth as he tried to stifle a sigh — was anything going to go right, today? Was he going to be stuck in a time loop, trying to fix the timeline?

“Nat, just… explain to Captain Rogers quickly,” he said. He turned back to Christine. “So, um, Chris… I have a confession to make.”

“You’re a terrorist!?”

“I’m not a — No! I’m a sorcerer!” he said quickly. He pat his shirt down. They were running out of time. Thor, Loki, Tony, Darcy, and Bruce were in trouble. His heart was pounding. “Steve, here, is from 1940-whatever, he’s fresh out of the ice; ignore him.”

“Hey!” he protested.

Stephen ignored him and continued. “We’ve got aliens on the way… and we’re going to need all the help we can get.”

Christine pursed her lips. “Aliens? Stephen, you sound…”

Strange huffed a laugh of shock. “Insane? Yeah, I know.” He pat his pockets. There was the slip ring. He fished for it and took it out, then put it on his fingers. “Can I… Can I show you something, Chris?”

Darcy pulled Iron Man, Thor, and Loki into a huddle. Bruce was still trying to get a hold on the Hulk and Sif was investigating the tower room. “Okay,” she said, making sure to meet each of their eyes, “I really need your help, here. Loki, you said these Chitauri are going to knock down entire buildings, right?”

The newlywed nodded in affirmation. “That is right.”

Darcy grinned with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Stark, can you create an explosive big enough to nuke a country?”

The inventor’s eyes flickered as he mapped out an invisible picture before him. “I have one laying around,” he mumbled. He scratched the back of his neck. Tony looked at Loki, snapping back to the real world before he got lost in the one he built. “So, uh, Mischief? Will your missus mind if I tell her to stop poking around at my things?” He jutted a thumb behind his back. 

“Yes,” Loki said, cool and collected. “I’d simply let her do as she pleases. She’s a hands-on learner, and if you let her explore, she’ll trust you.”

“You’re kind of a pushover,” Tony said with a small smirk. He craned his neck to keep an eye on the warrioress. “Who knew aliens and gods fell in love?”

“Enough talking about Sif,” Thor said, clearly uncomfortable. Darcy snickered quietly. Had he forgotten the way he spoke to her earlier? Her boyfriend swerved his head to see her. “What exactly do you plan to do with the explosives, my love?”

“They’ll be a last-minute idea,” she answered. Darcy’s heart swelled nervously. She hoped against hope this spur-of-the-moment plan would succeed. “Loki, you have the Scepter. You can control the army in theory, can’t you?”

“In theory,” he chuckled playfully. He twirled the staff in his fingers. He extended it to its full length carefully. “Our father has decided to send me as —”

“He isn’t our father,” Thor said, stopping him. He scratched his bare chin absentmindedly as a scowl grew on his face. “Not anymore.”

Loki arched a slender brow but did no t ask for the details. Darcy could see Thor’s features relax significantly. “Odin has decided to send me as the messenger. Of course, I can control the Chitauri armies. Sif, my lovely wife, will be able to talk to the Asgardian armies. The Aesir love her.”

“Please don’t speak that way, Loki,” Sif called, glass breaking from the same direction her voice came. Tony spun around immediately, but Thor tugged him back to their conversation.

“Focus on the task at hand,” he reprimanded the billionaire. He shook him lightly. Tony nodded. His gaze turned inward once again, but no one minded. “We need to remember this backup plan if something happens to Strange.”

“’Kay. Got it. Sure. Now, Miss Lewis, what exactly is this plan that you haven’t explained?” Tony said quickly. He played with his fingers, picked at his nails. 

Darcy took Thor’s hand, taking a deep breath to answer —

“We need you to end the Asgardian armies via a nuclear bomb,” Thor said, cutting her off. He flexed his jaw. Darcy’s eyes flew open in shock. How could he do this to his own kingdom? Not looking at her, Thor continued, waving his hand around the room. “Fire it from the tower. Its high altitude should provide an excellent aim. Right Loki?”

Tony could only nod briefly. 

“Absolutely correct, brother dearest.” He smiled. They seemed to know something that neither of them had filled Darcy in on. She hadn’t the foggiest what it could be. The brothers shared a warm, brief moment, but it ended once a dark shadow passed over them.

The two of them froze. 

“What the hell is that?” Bruce’s voice came. It deepened slightly, which made the younger god’s back hunch. 

Sif walked up to Loki, taking his hand as well. She peered out the glass, tuggjng her husband with her. Darcy couldn’t bring herself to look at what was blocking out the sun. “Hel? No… Those armies are from Valhalla itself.” 

“Darcy,” Thor called softly. “You need to see this.”

Turning her head to look, her heart beat wildly. This was a day that could have been prophecied, couldn’t it? It must have scared somebody… She braced herself for the sight. When her eyes landed, Darcy almost stopped breathing. 

Riding from the skies were pegasi. Big, brilliant white pegasi, with armored women and men with raised swords, clattering metal, and rumbling cries heard even from behind the glass. They seemed to be in slow motion at the same time they seemed to rush at the earth. Every warrior looked like Thor. Every warrior seemed fearless. Every warrior was screaming for their cause… Her soul began to vibrate in tune with the battle song as it called her to war. 

This new feeling, this horrifying new feeling, freaked her out more than when Jane hit Thor with the van. It didn’t scare her because of how new it was. It didn’t scare her because it meant she had to fight. It scared her because she knew this feeling. 

This feeling meant home. 

Somehow, she felt connected to the Asgardian battle cry. She felt connected to the waging of war, and the sight of a thousand or more fleets crashing down from the skies, and the blistering sight of gold and silver and bronze catching the sun. 

“Dear sweet Celestia,” Darcy breathed. She couldn’t tear her eyes away even to look at her boyfriend. He took her hand and squeezed it tightly. She was enraptured. “Thor… that’s them.”

“We need to find Stephen,” Loki said. “Now. We need to get the Tesseract and the Mind Stone. If Asgard is here, then that must mean the Chitauri will follow close behind.”

“We have to get out of here,” Thor decided. He tugged Darcy away from the window pane. She saw the worry on his face. She saw it clear as day, and she could feel his godly energy radiate off of him just like she had in the debriefing room. It didn’t give her the heebie-jeebies this time. “Stark, Banner, come with us now. We have no time to play around; if we can stop them before the city is destroyed, then we must get moving before they touch soil.” 

“Got it,” Bruce said weakly, rushing out of the door. 

Tony clicked some kind of button and released suit, then followed him. As he flew out the door, you could hear him say, “J.A.R.V.I.S., I need a location on Agent Barton and Romanoff…”

Sif and Loki came up to her and Thor. “How can ten of us stop ten thousand of Asgard’s best fighters?”

Darcy looked at Thor for an answer. His bare face made it easier to see the frown he was trying to hide. He had doubts. He was frightened. “We did it before, didn’t we?”

Loki swallowed. “Yes… we have, haven’t we?”

Sif set her hand on his shoulder. Darcy took her other hand. “I believe we can do anything.”

“I believe that with my whole heart,” Darcy smiled. 

They had to believe it… because if they didn’t, there would be nothing else to believe.

Chapter Text

Frigga knew Odin could laugh as the sun was setting. He could have doubled over, right there, watching his wife’s face fall and her cheeks turn ashen. For months, he could not sleep. For weeks, he could not say anything to her that wasn’t tainted with the subject of war. He wasn’t Allfather all this time for nothing; he would show the Nine exactly how powerful Asgard could be behind a powerful ruler. As the battalions marched through the Bi-Frost, her heart turned to ice. 

After all her stalling, nothing had ever come to fruition. Odin was going to destroy Midgard over silly dreams. His madness had truly gone too far — he had fallen off the last stone and dived head-first into the trench. She had hoped, foolishly, that she could bring something about behind her husband’s back, just as she had hoped before. Oh, she wasn’t as sinless as she liked to think; she, too, had done some falling of her own. Too many lies had fallen off of her tongue throughout the years, and like he had every single time, Odin caught them. She had lied to her boys, her husband, and her kingdom.

It was a shame that the first time she lied for Asgard, she couldn’t get away with it. 

“Odin, we don’t have to do this,” she whispered to her husband desperately. Frigga set a hand on his elbow, stepping closer to him. She shook her head. “Our sons are —”

“We must, my dear,” he answered, cutting her off. He squeezed the hand on his elbow. Odin did not look at her but laughed dryly. “I have no sons. Remember? One is your son… and the other has forsaken us.”

“How many times must I apologize for Jotunheim?” Frigga pleaded, ready to sob. “Do not start another war because of my children.”

“I am starting this war to keep your children safe, Frigga,” he snapped softly. “You do not need to apologize for Jotunheim any longer; your mistake has been paid for. You bore a child in shame… now, before we must go over your conquests further, I must excuse myself. I have to go destroy Midgard.” He removed his wife’s hand from his arm. “I will not have this conversation again. Remember your place.” The Allfather took a deep breath in, stepping away from her. He walked over to the final battalions, headed by Volstagg and Hogun. 

Frigga had only a few moments to act, then. Her last tools were being sent away. Sif was already gone, and the Warriors Three were being sent away as she breathed — 

The Warriors Three. 

Frigga almost let out a hysterical laugh as she realized it.

Fandral!  

Fandral was sitting in the dungeons. He was technically a captain of the guard! Most of the army respected him and loved him in a way that was impossible to quench past total betrayal. He was the greatest swordsman and the leader of the cavalry. 

Gears turned in her head, sending ideas to and fro through her mind. She gathered her skirts in her hands as she walked away from the departing warriors. There was one last trick up her sleeve. If Sif warned Loki and Thor properly, the stability of the realms could still survive. Fandral could bring fire back to the fight. 

As the queen passed through the golden, empty halls, she could not shake the feeling she was going to get caught. Freeing a prisoner was not so different from an illicit affair, but it still created deep anxiety. Her shoes made too much noise; her dress was too warm; the lights were too bright. The dungeons were too far. 

Staircases and doors were all that stood in her way, but the pressure she felt told her otherwise. Having been raised by witches and knowing her own magic, Frigga knew to trust the negative intuition. It did not matter how hope-crushing it might be; somehow, something dark was going to happen if she did not hurry.

Her time was growing short already. She was still paying for her crimes. Her sons wouldn’t understand what for; she hoped she never had to explain it. As far as she knew, neither Loki or Thor suspected the truth before these last few days. Sif knew part of it — part of Odin’s version — which meant that Loki would hear the coldest fact in the Universe. The darkening halls brought to mind how this could rip her sons apart.

After all, wasn’t it Thor who killed Laufey? How would Loki take it? Learning his brother had killed his father? What would Thor think, finding out his brother wasn’t entirely his? What would either of them say when they learnt of her betrayal or Odin’s lies?

As she stepped into the prison, Frigga raised her head high and looked at the guards. “Leave us,” she demanded. “I wish to have privacy. I must speak to Lord Fandral.” 

The guards filed out. The air hung with dread and mold. Her breath hung in the air, just as it did the first time she saw her youngest child after losing him. She scanned with her eyes, first, then spotted the cell she was searching for. Inside it, Fandral sat on the floor with frazzled hair, a cut above his eye, and his hands resting on his knees as he breathed heavily. 

Frigga walked up to his cell, clasping her hands in front of her. “Hello, my boy.”

Fandral met her eyes. He huffed a laugh out. “My Queen. What brings this visit? Am I to be executed after all?” The swordmaster grinned with exhaustion. “Perhaps I spoke out of turn, but I did mean it. Have the armies left, yet? Time blurs together, here, you know.”

Frigga smiled sadly. “They have departed. Sif left early for only the Norns know why.” She moved to the panel by his screen. She set her hand beside it and turned her head to study the young man once again. He would be hurt by reality, too. Oh, her husband was right: She was paying for her mistakes. “Can you walk? Run?”

“I can run faster than the sweet Valkyries fly,” he smirked. Fandral then frowned. “…why, my Queen?”

She smirked. She opened his cell. “Because we might need to scramble to get you to Earth.”

“Can someone please explain what’s in the sky?” Christine’s frantic voice wavered. She held Stephen’s hand tightly. They had turned their attention to the window where screaming women filtered through white clouds and shouting men rode behind them. He would say he had seen much worse, but even Dormammu hadn’t instilled threads of immortality into him as this war cry did. His instinct told him why… he didn’t like the reason. Christine brought him back to the apartment with a tug. “Hey, is that why you guys came here so quickly?”

“Yes,” he breathed, taking a gulp. “Yes, and that’s exactly why we have to go.” He turned away from the window and looked at his friend — girlfriend? — whatever, didn’t matter. She was mortified by the sound and sight of the Asgardian army. So was he, but he never saw something so beautiful, either. It stirred something inside of him. Stephen felt as if he was looking at his destiny. Something akin to the first time he held the Eye… something that tasted like space, something that he could feel in his fingers and hands. His mouth began moving before he knew what he was saying: “Remember when I told you about my friends Theo and Lucas?”

“The brothers you knew way back?” she asked, nodding. Clint, Steve, and Natasha were all watching them. Strange, for the first time, hated the audience — he hated it because he was failing, because Thor and Loki could have been dead right now. If they were somehow alive, it would still mean his failure. That thought alone gave him the sickening sense of impending doom. The army didn’t help with its magical feelings. “Why? Does this have something to do with those… those aliens?” 

Stephen gave a swift nod, taking Christine’s hands. “Yes. Those aren’t their names. They’re really Thor and Loki and they could quite possibly be dead if we don’t go now. Can you be brave, Chris?”

“I work E.R.!” she laughed hysterically. “I can be brave! Now, stop being weird so I can help you. Unless it’s going to kill us all, but, um —”

Strange nodded. He opened a portal, which prompted an appropriate yelp from Doctor Palmer. He took her hand and looked at Steve, Romanoff, and Barton determinedly. “Come with me,” he instructed cooly (not cooly at all, actually). “Fight off the armada, but whatever you do, don’t die.” He pointed to each Avenger.

“Wasn’t that the point?” Steve mocked. “Not to die?” 

“Let’s not fight right now; I don’t feel like turning off my hearing aids,” Clint sighed with a pinch to his nose. “We signed up to fight aliens. Those Thor and Loki guys asked for our help. Let’s get this job done quick, huh?”

“That’s the spirit,” Stephen praised. He tugged them all through the amber ring. 

Christine paled. “Oh, so we are going to die, then!” 

Once they were on the opposite side of the ring, it was to Stephen’s great joy that he found himself right beneath Stark Tower. The warriors had begun their battle, and they weren’t going to stop. The doctor could hear the clashing of swords and the singing of magical machines as the air fought against them. His fingers buzzed. He was itching to grab a weapon to beat them off. He had his magic. That was all he needed. But it wasn’t what he needed, needed. The deep tug in his gut only intensified and brought him a heavenly discomfort: The sky was his home, and he felt a homesickness for the stars. Space. Time. His spirit was screaming. 

“Does anyone else feel that?” he breathed. 

“Feel what?” Romanoff asked, arching her slender brow. “The sense of impending doom?”

“He means that,” Captain America said, taking a deep breath in. “That feeling… the one that catches your —”

“Your soul,” Stephen finished. “That fate feeling. Now, we have to start moving. We have to start fighting like our lives depend on it.” He took Christine and the others into the tower as a large, fiery projectile hurdled toward the asphalt. When it crashed, he winced but kept moving inside. “Does anyone know where the elevator is?”

“Right here,” Clint spoke up, pointing in the opposite direction of where they had been facing. They rushed in. Strange pushed the summons button a million times before Christine slapped his hand and started hitting it. 

“Oh, my God!” she cried. “Stephen, I can’t believe you’re actually a—”

“A wizard? Yeah, me neither,” he said brusquely. They all filed into the elevator. Since he had done his history, he knew the biggest battle happened at the top of the tower; this meant they would have to make their way up there. “My brothers might be dead, so can we save the ‘you’re-a-wizard-Harry’ stuff for if we survive this?”

“Can’t you use your portals?”

“Not when I’m freaking out, okay? It’s been a whole year since I’ve been in action!” Strange herded them into the elevator as the doors opened, checking behind him once, twice, three times. “Besides, someone might be watching.”

“Who would be watching?” Romanoff asked. “The aliens? They can’t possibly know we’re the Earth’s only—” 

No one was catching on. Not one single person. They didn’t understand, and they couldn’t understand. Not that it would be easy for them to try, anyway. Darcy barely believed them in the first place, and maybe she still didn’t, but there was no way two spies and a war veteran would buy the change-the-future spiel. He found it hard to even remember 2016 nowadays. Why on earth would they listen to him about it when nothing would even come true? They wouldn’t fathom the pure villainy that was about to come.

They would laugh at it, instead. 

“No one is ever what they seem,” Stephen said sharply, not having had listened to anything she had said after mentioning the aliens. “Don’t underestimate anyone. Ever.” He made a small portal once the elevator doors shut, knowing he was contradicting what he had just said seconds before. His heart kept beating faster and faster as he could feel the armada breaking the atmosphere. He guided them through, single-file until they saw six figures standing in front of a darkened glass window. The man let out a sigh of relief.

Thor and Loki were safe.

“Strange?” Loki asked the same time that Thor laughed triumphantly, “Strange!” Both men trotted forward to embrace the wizard, to which he shockingly allowed. 

“Stephen,” Darcy sighed, walking over to him. She put a hand to her heart. “What’s with the weird soul feeling?”

“I don’t know,” he said honestly. He turned his attention toward the window himself, his mouth running so his heart could calm. “But Captain Rogers has the same issue. Do we know how to stop Asgard?”

“I do,” Sif said. “It is good to see you, Stephen Strange; I remember your care from our last meeting.”

“What’s the plan, then?”

“We use Thor and me to sound a war horn,” she said, “and we disarm the portals of the Chitauri using an explosive.”

“The explosive was my idea,” Darcy said with a smile. “It’s a backup plan if we can’t get rid of it. Really, it came down to Sif, Stark, and I saying our plans at the exact same time once reality had set in.”

“And what about the Titan?” Strange asked, slightly relieved. He turned to Loki.

“Thanos hasn’t touched me, so I assume he must have made his roots somewhere else,” he informed him. He crossed his arms and rested on his wife. “My best guess is Odin has made promises to him; the only way we can truly stop this threat is by curbing Thanos through Odin.”

“That’s a good call,” the sorcerer praised. “Now, what was Stark’s contribution to this plan?”

“I’m going to take the explosive and attach it to a Chitauri ship,” he said, shrugging. He looked around at their team with a frightened-yet-proud smirk, but took a sharp breath and stopped. “Also, I need another heart appointment next Tuesday, can we do that?”

“Not now.” He rolled his eyes and grabbed Thor and Loki by the collars. “We need to find a way to stop Odin in Asgard. Thor, can you get there?”

“I can,” he confirmed. “But what about the team? Aren’t we supposed to keep some of the bigger events as close to the original timeline as possible?”

“We are, but if we can get Tony to perform his selfless act, it will have nearly the same effect on the timeline as before. You know, how he brought the Avengers together and managed not to be a complete and total dipstick,” he rushed, hoping he was right. He needed to be right. If he wasn’t, that meant too many things and not enough time to fix them. “They’ll all be trying to fight off the armada, so they’ll bond together. Ignore the fight. Just try and get Odin.”

“I’ll need to take Loki and Darcy,” the thunder god murmured. “Heimdall will naturally want to take his sister home, so that will be four of us gone. It will help, anyway, speaking to Odin and trying to convince him Asgard will be safe; we have the Tesseract and the Mind Stone, now. Can you survive, brother?”

“I can, don’t worry,” Strange answered. “Get your newlyweds together if you can, keep Darcy safe.”

“Understood.”

“Wait, you knew Heimdall was Sif’s brother?” Loki gawked. “I just found out —”

“That isn’t important, now!” Thor and Stephen snapped in unison. Loki rolled his eyes. 

“Get Darcy; I will speak with my wife. We have a king to speak to.” The God of Mischief grinned his signature smirk. “We have a war to stop.”

Stomping on the Bi-Frost was not a feeling Thor thought he would feel for quite some time. Naturally, he had always taken this place for granted, but now it felt like a different place to him. He thought in his mind that, somehow, disowning Odin would mean he would be expected to stay away from Asgard. The Bi-Frost hadn’t been destroyed from Loki’s tantrum in that previous timeline—it was intact, now. It would stay that way. 

“Where are we, exactly? Like, I get we’re on Asgard, which is totally super-cool and all, but where on Asgard?” Darcy’s bubbly, curious voice asked. She was swivelling her head to and fro as they approached the gatekeeper. Thor nearly moved to silence the woman just to ease his own anxiety but decided against it. A happy Darcy would be better for this plan. A happy, safe Darcy who couldn’t be tossed around by his fath —Odin. Remembering her strength and reminding himself that the Avengers would stop the Chitauri, Thor just clenched his jaw and pushed on. 

“This is the Bi-Frost,” Sif answered her. “My brother, Heimdall, will give you a brief summary of our land before we head to the palace. Frigga will help us, as well; no need to fret.”

A steady hand clapped Thor on the back. Loki was smiling. The thunder god scowled. Why was Loki smiling? Why now? “That’s right, brother—no fretting. We just put Odin back into his Odinsleep and we can cut off all connection to Thanos, take the throne, and Sif and I can go on our honeymoon.” The younger man laughed happily. He had all the reason to. He had a wife, an upcoming throne, and an enemy to spite. That whole debriefing about the Mad Titan had put things into perspective for Thor; Loki, for the last decade, had been pulling the shortest straw. 

The real question was, why wouldn’t he be smiling? 

“Honeymoon? You weren’t married in Nevada?” 

“Oh, no. I just proposed.”

“Sister,” Heimdall boomed suddenly. Thor felt his armor clash together as he jumped. The guardian, stoic as ever, stood rigidly in wait. “My kings. Darcy Lewis, the Midgardian. How may I serve you?” A slow lift of the head and a half smile was enough to raise Thor’s spirits.

He turned to face the gatekeeper. He reached out his hand behind him for Darcy, taking her hand and bringing her to his side. “Heimdall, we need to debrief her as fast as possible. It would mean the world to us if you could do this.”

Heimdall eyed Sif and Loki as they gave each other soft—yet subtle—eyes. “I will do this for you two,” he told the elder prince. “Though, I think my sister’s world is complete already.” He turned his expression into a grave one. Darcy gulped audibly. “Frigga and Fandral are in hiding. You’ll find them in the highest towers—Allfather Odin will be in his throne room. Whoever can subdue him the fastest should see him.”

“Loki and I are an even match for him,” Thor supplied. “Fandral can keep Darcy safe, yes?”

Darcy huffed. “I’ll be fine—”

“Yes, he will. I suspect she will feel more useful looking for spells to help you and Loki on your ascension.” Heimdall looked between the two and smiled at Darcy. Thor could barely hide his own smile. Even through all this terror, Darcy could still make him smile. “The Norns smile at you, Lady Lewis.”

Darcy glared, though lightheartedly. “You talk some smooth words, but don’t think I’m going to forget about you two treating me as some fragile mortal, ’kay? I wanted to kick some god-butt!” She took Thor’s empty hand. “Where is your dad?”

“He isn’t my father, anymore.” He laced their fingers. Heimdall led them through the Bi-Frost and over the bridge, carefully explaining every room one could expect to encounter in the palace. The dining rooms, the ballrooms, the throne room, the armory. The courtyard, the looms, the laundry. Then the bedchambers, closets, apothecaries, healing halls. 

“And then there is the private parlor where the king is hiding in,” he finished monotonously. “I can see everything. Just as I can see you sniffing my sister’s hair, my prince.”

“I was not—!”

“Can I trust you to help us save Midgard, Heimdall?” Thor asked, cutting Loki off. They had made it to the palace gate by now. His whole body tremored. Lightning sizzled the pads of his fingers, his palm itched for his hammer… “Can you keep Darcy safe? Could you make it possible for us to escape quickly?”

“I can only promise my best. My loyalty lies with you, my kings.” He bowed. Thor blinked. The time for their ascension was coming. The defeat of Odin was going to be a necessity. There would be no escaping this—the god could feel the ripple through time slowing to a stop. This would be the course he had to take.

“We have not been coronated, yet,” he mumbled. “I will not have you committing such treason when my father is still on the throne. If he can hide Hela, he can kill you, my friend.” 

“Then he must not find out,” he grinned. “Good luck, my prince.”

“And good luck to you,” Thor grinned back. He turned to his brother, sister, and beloved. “Let us go.”

Chapter Text

Thor and Darcy had linked arms before they walked in the palace gates. He was nervous, of course, not knowing exactly how this interaction was going to go. Odin would have had full range in this palace—why had he ever left? Why did he not stay? Why did he ever give in to the pressure his father had placed upon him? “Odin!” Thor barked, placing his hand over Darcy’s affectionately. “Where is he?”

They looked at the empty halls. The tile floor was never-ending. The ceilings glittered, yet held no life. Once bustling with beautiful women and handsome men, the halls now lacked all love and celebration. It was an empty shell. This palace should have never been neglected… Thor’s heart was falling out of his chest and breaking slowly as he thought about it. He would have to fix it as soon as he could. 

“Babe, look,” Darcy whispered, snapping him out of his daze. She pointed to a man in silken robes and many jewels, her face contorted in disgust. It was as if she already knew he was a poseur; luckily for Thor’s lifelong career as a prince, he could tell exactly who the man was simply by the fact he couldn’t remember his name. “Maybe you could talk to him. He looks like he would know where your dad is.” She gave him a playful smile. He smirked back.

“You there!” the thunder god called. The courtier lifted his head and kept his haughty nose in the air. Thor nearly laughed at the man. He was far too tempted to mock him. “Have you any idea where the Allfather is?”

“Lord Thor, the Allfather will not wish to see you! He has better things to do than waste his time with the likes of you—,” the petty courtier sneered, but one look from both the blond and the brunette silenced him. The Norns knew what his brother and sister-in-law looked like behind them. “…but he may make an exception for you, given that you were, erm, traveling with Prince Loki…”

“Where is he, Korvald?” Loki spat from behind. Thor turned. “Does the Crown Prince look to be in a gaming mood? Shall I ask my wife what she thinks about Asgard’s treatment of their defenders?” Loki cocked his head over at Sif, who beamed with pride. Korvald shook his head and stepped back, immediately realizing that the princes meant business.

“I—… No, no, not at all, my liege…,” the courtier swallowed. He sank to his knees and bowed. Thor smirked again and met his brother’s eyes. They were raised by a king and a queen—of course they still had authority. Korvald’s voice came again: “My lords, the last I heard was that the Allfather was in his study with the Allmother Frigga.”

The princes paled, still watching each other. Blood ran cold. The Allfather? Alone with Frigga? In this insanity? “Mother,” they said together. 

Loki, ever quick on his feet, spoke first. “We have to—!”

Thor nodded, moving closer to his brother. They gripped each other’s arms. “—Yes, but the girls—?”

“Sif can watch Darcy,” Loki answered. He briefly, silently checked with his wife. It happened so quickly, Thor didn’t see it, but the husband must have gotten the answer he needed because he turned back to him in a flash. “We must hurry; Odin has gone mad, remember?” He tugged Thor along.

He began running down the corridors with Loki, nearly tripping over himself as he turned each corner. His heels screeched along the tiles. “Yes, yes, I remember!” he grunted. He looked to and fro before switching directions. “Can’t you open portals? Wasn’t that something you could do?”

Loki followed after him. “You were gone for long enough I thought you had forgotten!” he answered, dodging him as he moved. “And no, I can’t!”

“How can we save Mother if you can’t even use your magic to get us to her?” Thor cried. He ran faster. Few people walked down the halls, but said nothing about his presence, or his purpose, or even why he and Loki were running. It was helpful but distracting. “Since when did you lose your ability to make portals?”

“I never had it!” he snapped. Loki pushed part of the wall, made it open, and then yanked Thor through. He yelped, which made the other man slap a hand over his mouth. “Here’s a short cut! Now shut up!”

“You can’t boss me around,” Thor protested, making a face. They walked along the short cut (which looked suspiciously like a secret passage) and made sure to walk fast. “And what do you mean you’ve ‘never had it’?”

“Would you be quiet?”  

The passage smelt like mold. It was wet. It was damp. Thor could taste the walls in his mouth just by looking around. There was a clear path in the glistening dirt, which meant someone had been using it frequently. “Um, Loki?” Thor asked. He did another sweep of the passage, trying to figure out how to form his upcoming question.

“Yes, brother?” he replied. Loki looked back at him, arching a brow. The look of worry did not leave him. It was nice to see him so comfortable with his own emotions. Sif must have really helped him get through his darkness…

“How often do you use these passages?” Thor moved closer to him. He followed his steps. “Did you use them even before we came back?”

“I used them all the time, actually.” He laughed with a bittersweetness. “I used to be so jealous of you, I had to find my own ways around just to avoid you in the main parts of the palace.” He sucked his teeth as they moved. The end was coming close. “Then, I realized these places were their own portals. I found a way to Jotunheim. I struck a deal with the man who turned out to be my own father, and I agreed that I would restore the realm to its former glory if I could rule Asgard.”

Thor stopped. He made the younger man face him. “You should have told me.” He affectionately set his hand on Loki’s neck. “We could have worked something out, you know. I’m glad I get to have a do-over with you.”

He smiled at Thor. “As am I, brother.”

After a few more steps, they came out of the wall right before Odin’s study. The door was made out of darkened oak, painted with runes and sigils that he had forgotten mages and sorcerers used. Perhaps they were obvious to everyone else, though: he had never grasped the world of magic. Thor put a finger over his lips, motioning for Loki to follow his lead. He put his head against the door to the study. 

“I do not care what you think about it, Frigga,” the voice of the Allfather came. The brothers looked at each other, shock twisting each of their faces. “Your judgment over Loki has always been biased.”

“What?” the named brother mouthed. Thor shrugged, clearly just as confused. 

“You raised him! Why can’t you think of him highly? Because his seed father is Laufey?” Frigga argued back. “Why shouldn’t we let him be king? You cannot carry this burden forever, Odin, Asgard will be fine!”

“Asgard will crumble because of your son! He has blackness in his heart, born of deception!” There was the clattering of objects. No one screamed, so the boys remained where they were. “Loki never once asked me why he was titled the God of Lies, you know. He accepted it. He always blamed himself. You asked me to never tell him, and so, I never did. I cannot allow a monster like that—with my worst habits, your sin, and the genetic makeup of Hel—to govern a kingdom with Ragnarok on the way. He will fail. They’ll call him Loki, the Monster.”

“Can we let my faults go for once, Odin?” Frigga sighed with exasperation. “They are both your sons. You loved them both, once! Equally!”

“I still love them equally!” he roared. Thor and Loki braced themselves to open the door. “I love them! They are mine, but can you not see!? Loki has your manners, my heart! He is more like me than he should be. And Thor… However he managed to change so quickly, I will never know. He has become too sensitive. He is too unpredictable to be a king. I cannot give the throne to a halfling and a gentle beast.”

Something changed in the air, even outside, once Odin had said those words. Something changed, and it left no room for any uncertainty. The problem was, only one of them looked like they knew what the missing puzzle piece had been. “Open the door, Thor,” Loki whispered, eyes glassy. “Before someone gets hurt.” 

Obediently, he turned the knob, pushing the wood away from himself. 

The married couple froze. Frigga stiffened. Odin lifted his head higher. They both stepped inside, tightening the tension in the atmosphere.

“Observe, my dear,” the Allfather said softly. The eldest son might have been mistaken, but he swore he saw tears lining his eyes. Loki looked between them. He was breathing heavily. Their father held Gungnir in his hands, tight enough his knuckles turned white, and took a step back. “Observe, and tell me why I should surrender the throne to one of these two.”

“Why would I want a throne from you? You aren’t my father,” Loki spat. He flexed his wrists and wrung his hands. Thor flinched. 

“Loki, this isn’t the time—,” Thor tried.

“Then am I not your mother?” Frigga interjected. Her words held a new type of tone; some twisted version of hope that no being should even be allowed to use. Loki stepped forward, with Thor unable to stop him, snarling and baring his teeth.

“Unfortunately,” he growled, “you are.” He looked back at Thor, lip wobbling. Frigga’s face fell. “Tell him. Explain! If not for me, for your precious firstborn. What a fool I was to think he was the only one born of your deceitful body.”

Confusion filled the thunder god. “What? Loki, you must be feeling sick… You were adopted, Laufey is your father…” He laughed nervously. “Remember? We talked about this; you said—”

“I know what I said! I know!” Loki sniffed and wiped his eyes, still staring Frigga down. “Now tell the truth!”

“My son, I had no idea you knew about Laufey,” she admitted quietly. “The plan was for you to never find out. You were the product of… of an…” She backed down, looking at her husband for assistance. Asking him for assistance? When he was mad? Thor could barely form words at the moment, but if he could, he would have ridiculed her for such a thing.

“You were the product of a dalliance,” Odin filled in. “A love affair… And such a product began the war between Asgard and Jotunheim.” He moved closer to the youngest man in the room. “When a young woman and a charming man cannot help themselves, it creates sin. I knew your mother did not love me then, so I did not count her lack of control as a personal betrayal… simply the betrayal of her position and her king. Laufey wanted her for his queen, and because of our marriage already being in place, I could not allow that. The war was done and finished by the time you were six months old.” He set a hand on Loki’s shoulder. “Because of the quick solution, we decided it would be best if you never knew. You are, in fact, my boy.”

“I am not your anything!” Loki hissed. “I never was. Insisting that I am does nothing but hurt us all. And you…” He looked to the Allmother. “I expected better of.”

“I truly could not help it,” she said, desperate. “It was the pull of destiny!”

“Deliver us the power of the Allfather, Odin,” Thor said, changing the subject. “Midgard will perish and you will not get the outcome you desire. The stones will not save Asgard. The Tesseract, the Scepter? They’re not your solution.”

“And what would you know?” Odin growled. “You wouldn’t. You cannot know. You’re a boy. You have not seen what is in my head! You have not seen who is in my head!”

“I have,” Loki said. “I know his tricks. I know his lies. I know what he has promised you, and I know the Other is his messenger. No matter what he is threatening you with, it cannot be as disastrous as his own, mad agenda. I can help you, Father.” He extended his hand. Frigga covered her mouth.

“You can?” Thor gaped. “You—you can?”

“I can put you in your Odinsleep,” Loki continued. “Permanently. If you distribute the power of the Allfather, Thanos cannot keep haunting you with nightmares.”

“Don’t speak his name,” the old king breathed. “You cannot help me… not against him… He is unstoppable, him and his Black Order.” He shook. Thor felt goosebumps line his arms. “The end is coming. This world will not last…”

“Do you want the horror to end, Father?” Loki asked. Thor nodded with encouragement. 

“More than anything.”

Sif and Darcy were sitting in the hall they had been left in. Time had passed. Not so much that had worried the women, but still enough that they had been in the hall for what seemed like forever. They had gotten to talking (more like Darcy explaining what a TV show was, and then explaining that she had been religiously watching My Little Pony when she wasn’t working for S.H.I.E.L.D.). Sif explained how she was able to be the only woman soldier in Asgard’s army, despite the existence of Valkyries. 

“What you’re saying is that the army is basically just for men? How sexist! Why separate the two parties at all?” Darcy cried, leaning her head back against the wall. “That’s crazy. So crazy!”

“There was a battle with the Valkyries centuries ago,” Sif explained. “The Allfather determined that letting women into battle was not only risky, but far too dangerous to consider. An evil being completely wiped out all the Valkyries; now, it’s considered too dangerous for most women. Most women cannot even pass the test to enter into the army. I nearly didn’t, but Loki helped me train when we were too young to entertain Thor.” 

“So,” Darcy started. “You and Loki are in love, now, then?” She gave the soldier a smirk, remembering the last time they had spoken. She had been so insistent that the two of them were only getting married for politic’s sake.

“It seems so,” she admitted with a small smile. “I never saw it coming. When I knew he was in trouble, I could not stop myself. But you mustn’t tell him.” Sif smiled and put a finger up to her own lips. “The Norns know I would never be able to live it down.” She laughed quietly. 

“That’s so cute.” Darcy playfully nudged her. Sif smiled at her, shaking her head. “The plus side is that you’re already married. Does he like kids? Do you guys want kids?”

“He has said something once or twice about having an heir,” she admitted. “But not often. It was always ‘if’; Loki has always been so respectful of my boundaries… for the most part.” She smiled down at her hands and her lap. “Sometimes his hands find their way onto my back or into mine. He has been obvious about his feelings since the beginning. You know, he didn’t even propose to me properly—he just sort of asked if I would marry him and dragged me to Jotunheim.”

“Wait, so how long ago exactly did he start acting like he was in love with you?” she giggled, eyebrows raising. Sif waved her hand dismissively. 

“I can’t exactly say. He just woke up one morning and turned on the charm. He knows I adore a good fight, and he started arguing with me, and now… here we are.” Sif stood. “We should check on them. They’ve been away a long time and I do not trust our partners to be as safe as they usually are right now.”

“No, I get it,” she replied, standing up. “They’ve been gone for like, two hours now, and I swear they’re—”

“Right here,” Thor’s voice came. He and Loki both appeared at the end of the hallway. There was something different about them, and she couldn’t place what. “And we need to talk.”

Chapter Text

Both brothers had only had this new power surging through their veins for less than an hour. Already, there was so much to be done. Loki couldn’t face Sif as easily as he had before; he had no idea how he could tell her what had happened. Of course, Thor said they needed to talk. He agreed. He needed to tell Sif many things… including the vision he had seen of her.

But that was a story for another time. 

Surely it wouldn’t affect anything. 

“Loki!” Sif said with a smile, running into his arms. Darcy had done the same to Thor, but whatever they spoke of, Loki wasn’t listening. “You’re safe!” She kissed him adoringly. He barely had time to kiss back as she pulled away and checked him over. “Is Frigga alright?” She stepped back. “You’re different…”

Loki nodded, but didn’t know where to begin. “She’s fine,” he answered. “She’s behind us. Odin… he’s been put in a deep sleep. Whenever possible, my love, we must speak about my heritage. After all, you are my queen now.” He grinned—forced one on his face, as best he could, which was easy when she was around—and he tilted her chin up. 

“You’re king, now?” she asked, a large, beautiful smile gracing her face. He nodded. 

“We’re kings,” he laughed, lifting her into his arms. Yelping, Sif held onto him securely. “We’re kings! Our true coronation will be any day! We can finally finish our lovely wedding day the way it was supposed to be.”

“So what happened?” she asked, the smile falling and replacing itself with a serious expression. 

And so Loki began to explain, starting from the eavesdropping all the way to putting Odin to sleep:

“Do you want this horror to end, Father?” Loki had asked the man who had raised him as his own. With all the knowledge swirling in his head, he wanted to break down, to get angry, to process it; unfortunately, doing so could destroy the Universe—invite Thanos. He needed to protect his wife and his country. He needed to protect the Nine Realms. Thor stood beside him during this difficult task. In many ways, he knew this was the same feeling that his “father” was experiencing. 

“More than anything,” the man rasped desperately. Thor moved behind Odin, and then he had guided him onto his knees. “Neither of you will understand the consequences of what you’re doing,” the Allfather continued then, gasping for air as if the room was closing in on him. “He will come… The Lady Time will come… The Universe will collapse if you do not follow fate.”

“Fate is dictated by actions,” Thor told their father. He knelt next to him. The older god gripped his sons by the shoulders, beginning to weep. “Relinquish the Allfather powers to us. You will be able to rest for the rest of your days, Odin. When you pass, Hela will not return. When you pass, Thanos will not come. All the power you worry about? It’s gotten to your head. A good king must realize when his rule is stopping him from being a good man.”

“And space and time? Those are our things to worry about. That’s our territory, now.” Loki knelt as well. “Give up the crown. Rest. Take what is yours, Father.”

“…So, he is finished? He is gone now?” she whispered curiously. Loki set her down, pressing her to his chest. She held him loosely. “Are you able to call the troops home? Will I be able to keep my position now?”

Loki’s heart leapt with a brief flash of pain. The original point of this marriage was a political one, after all. They would have to get the stones, get Strange, and finish their mission despite whatever Loki was feeling, anyhow. “Yes,” he answered her. “Yes, you will.” 

“You’re a king, now?” Darcy screeched joyfully next to them. Loki flinched. Of course, she would be excited for the man she loved. There was nothing hidden, nothing strained, nothing potent in their past for her to worry about their connection or relationship. Unfortunately for him, Loki was all of those things and more to Sif — all the bad things. 

He watched as his brother spun Darcy in the air, kissing her with every ounce of true love the Universe had in it. They were happy. They were a union the Universe ordained — the fact that they hadn’t collided the first time was the entire reason the timeline had to be reset.

They were soulmates.

They were destined; established. 

Sif and Loki weren’t. That’s why he had the vision. That’s why he couldn’t be too happy with what he had.

But he could pretend, couldn’t he?

“I can’t believe it’s almost over, Darcy,” Thor said, laughing happily at their victory. “We have two stones; we have Asgard. Things are going to work out just as they were meant to!” He pulled back, showing Darcy the new power he had absorbed through the Allfather magic. Concentrated lightning flew across his hands, and Mjölnir did whatever he wanted it to. 

Loki swallowed thickly. He felt his wife’s fingers curl around his shoulder, looking at him with clear unsettlement. “I’ll… I’ll go alert the messengers to send the troops home, Sif. I’ll see you later.” He squeezed her fingers, kissed her knuckles, and left for his bedroom.

Their bedroom, now, he supposed. 

He could feel the new power run through his veins. He could feel it all. The buzz, the new sense of responsibility, the new purpose—it was all there. He knew he would have to take this position very seriously, now. He had to really work at being a good king. He didn’t have the same obstacle as he did in the first timeline: he was very well-liked among his people. He wasn’t “evil.” He never had to face Thanos. He was never disowned by Odin. 

But now he had to worry about bringing Thanos. 

Odin’s words rang through his head. Being lied to once again weighed him down. The vision of Sif… it was harrowing. He could barely look at her. It had only been a day, yes, but it could still mean something. It would be his fault; he knew it. The journey to collect and destroy the Stones would be a dangerous mission. This would be the end of one thing, yet the beginning of another. 

“Oh, Norns,” he prayed under his breath. He sat down on his bed, realizing he had slipped into a hypnotic state. This new timeline was starting to get at him. “Don’t let anything happen to her.”

Loki sank to his knees and clasped his hands in front of his face. He tested his elbows on the bed. He would need to alert Stephen. He would need to make sure the extraction of the other four Stones was effective. Thor did his part—now it was time for him to do his. 

Focusing the new magic he held into a single channel, he projected an image of himself across the realms. He could feel the stairs as they passed—they tickled rather than burned as they had before. Odin really did hold too much power by himself. He chanted a spell like a lifeline as he felt his new image form in front of the desired recipient. 

“What are you doing back so soon?” Strange’s voice came. Loki could see him now, as if he were peering through a misty dream. “Is Odin done already?”

“I’m not really here, brother,” Loki chuckled. He stood up, his lip curling with slight amusement. “Odin surrendered quite easily once he knew I had dealt with Thanos once before. We’ll just need to make sure the Stones are safe until we destroy them. How will we store them?”

Stephen stopped, looking puzzled. “I actually hadn’t thought about that, yet. I’ve been so busy trying to get you two on the right path and keeping Earth safe I didn’t even stop to think about it. I’ll still have to get the Time Stone from the Ancient One. We have Mind and Space—that’s two out of six down.”  

Loki swallowed at the thought of the Stones. Flashes of Thanos’s treatment ran through his memory. His skin burnt. He felt the lack of matter against his back from falling through space. The Mad Titan always got what he wanted. This head start might make a difference, but there was a large chance he would still crush them like sandstone. 

“Thor and Darcy are deeply in love; I doubt there’s much more that needs to be done between them. Sif and I… I believe we’re not going to survive this. But I have an inkling of where the Power Stone and the Soul Stone are.” He crossed his arms. So much hurt hung on his shoulders. Brother Dearest would never need to know. This timeline was different. Things wouldn’t happen the way they would have. “Thor and I are now the Kings of Asgard. We have the powers of the Allfather. We’ll be calling the troops home and coming to get the Stones.”

“What? And leave the entire fight with these guys off-screen? What is this? A Greek drama?” Strange complained. He ran a hand through his hair. 

“I’ll pretend I understand that,” Loki lied. He studied far too much theatre when he spent time on Midgard. Suddenly, an idea popped into his brain. “…Would you care to visit Asgard?” 

“Why? You have a plan?” Stephen smirked. 

“I have an idea of how to store the Stones, yes,” he replied. “Thor and I will come and collect you. How does that sound?”

“It sounds like a good plan. What do I tell the Avengers?”

“They’re the Earth’s mightiest heroes?”

“And Christine?” The sorcerer shifted from one foot to the other. He must have hit his head or some kind of adrenaline high. He usually separated feelings from situations. Loki was amused by it. 

“Your feelings. Who knows what roads might exist now that we’ve forced a fork?” He felt a surge of exhaustion. He hadn’t projected this far before for so long. “Just ready everybody.”

“Stay safe, Loki.” 

He nodded, letting the image dissolve. Everything zapped back into him like a taut cord breaking. It was a sharp sting, an electrifying jolt. He fell to the ground, hissing in pain. His eyes rolled shut as he tried to process it. He buried his head in his arms. 

“Loki?” a voice came. He groaned in response. Hands held his shoulders. He flinched at the touch. “Loki, who were you speaking to?” 

“Fetch Thor,” he ordered roughly. He could barely open his eyes. “We’ll need to go back to Midgard…”

“No, you won’t.” His head hit a soft lap. His hair was pushed out of his face. “I won’t let you go anywhere when you’re falling to the ground. Surely you know you have to adapt to this new power. Your father took so long to adjust, you know.”

“Please, Mother, don’t.” He sighed deeply. He pinched his nose. “Didn’t you marry Odin after he was Allfather? And don’t call him my father. Call him my papa or my dad or something, but I simply can’t hear any more lies from your mouth.” Loki didn’t want to discredit the man who raised him as his own. This time around, he hadn’t been so hurtful. He had even been closer to loving. They had spent time together and grown closer. 

In retrospect, it seemed almost as if clues had been dropped. 

Loki wiped his face and finally opened his eyes, huffing an exhale.

“I married him after, yes, but I knew him when Bor was still alive. I knew him and his family quite well before Wo—before things fell about the way they did.” She cleared her throat. “Things like that happen when you’re betrothed for years. I had to help him through his transition and earning comfort with this power. Sif will be able to guide you through; I’m sure of it.”

“And like you and Odin, will Sif fall for another while she’s promised to be my wife?” he grunted. He sat up slowly. “I love her, Mother. Do not compare her to yourself. Do not compare us to your relationship with Odin.” He looked Frigga deeply in the eye. “If you do a single thing to disrupt Thor and Darcy’s happiness, I will have you locked away in the dungeons long enough to hear your sobs of misery and your heart shattering from the rejection of your sons.” 

“Loki, you do not mean that,” she whispered. Horror sank onto her face. 

“I mean what I say quite dearly.” He got to his feet as quickly as he could and stared at her with all the disappointment he could muster. “Your lies and infidelity will cost you if you continue in your wicked ways. You are no longer queen, Mother; no longer Allmother. Thor and I will speak and determine if you’re still trustworthy.” 

“Don’t leave,” she begged. “What would I do now that my shame is out to the world?”

“Suffer and learn to bear it,” he said through bared teeth. “I love you—but I do not love what you’ve done. When I can look at you again, you will know. Now.” He held his head. “I will see my brother and we shall finish our business with Midgard.” 

“Loki, please,” she tried again. She stood up. She looked helpless. He wished he could feel sorry for her. 

“Don’t. Thor disowned Odin; you’re lucky I don’t disown you.” He left his bedroom and made his way to find his brother. There was only so much he could do to protect the Realms right now. He would do what he could—family and true love would no longer interfere with the scheme he and his brothers had concocted to keep them safe. 

He would just need to learn to adapt.

Servants sensed the new air he put off as he passed—Aesir seemed to be under the spell of the Allfather as naturally as the little worker bees and their queen. They bowed, muttered their greetings, and thanked him when he told them to be at ease. He found the sensation odd. He knew it was a supernatural entity causing this new behavior. As a prince it was never this way. As a bridegroom, it was never this way. There was never any sharp, brought-to-attention expression on anyone’s faces. He knew he was reeking of godly. Truly godly. 

He found a guard and stopped him casually. “Sir,” he said softly. “Please tell me where Thor is; we must arrange to have the high priestess come to the palace when our troops have returned home.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the guard said. He bowed. “I saw him take your new guest and Lady Sif to your common parlor. Lord Heimdall is bringing the troops back as we speak—Thor has ordered it.”

A splash of relief hit his body. So his sibling wasn’t so preoccupied. “Thank you,” he said genuinely. He told the guard a farewell and went to find his family, hoping to at least catch them before they started worrying about him. Or worse—Thor collapsed as well. No matter what happened, though, would have to grab his brother and explain everything quickly. He had no idea how he would pull all this off. Being a king would come with new responsibilities. It would come with new tortures, horrors, and a different future. What was he to do?

He supposed he would have to take his own advice—he would have to suffer and learn to bear it. 

When he found the three of them, Loki put on his best smile and stepped in. “There you all are. I had a small chat with Strange; we’re able to go pick up the Mind and Space Stones at any time. I hope I didn’t frighten any of you.”

“Frighten us?” Thor scoffed. “After finding out your mother lied to you your whole life, not even in this timeline but in the last, it was no wonder you needed a moment to yourself.” He pat the cushion next to him. Loki moved to comply. “Come and sit. On the plus side, it means we really are brothers.”

“You’re right; that is a bonus.” He laughed. He looked over to Sif on the other cushion, who was staring at the floor with her arms crossed. Darcy was fiddling with some device she had found, trying to figure out how to work it. “Precious, whatever’s wrong?”

“I just can’t see what could come out of this that Odin was so afraid of,” she told him. “Odin was the most powerful man in the Nine Realms, and he was scared of this Mad Titan. So are you, Loki, don’t lie. What are you really fighting against? What’s the endgame?”

“Unity,” he promised. He beckoned her over, to which she obeyed. She sat on his other side and fell into his arms. “The endgame is unity, life, and prosperity. It’s what we’re fighting for. Don’t you trust me?” He moved a stray lock of hair out of her face.

“I don’t trust you not to be heroic, Loki,” she admitted. She didn’t meet his gaze. “I don’t want to lose you because you’re too reckless. You’re my husband. That’s the greatest bond two can have and I don’t want to lose it before I get to enjoy it.”

“Why don’t we all go down to Midgard to collect the Stones? Just stay together?” Thor asked, trying to lighten the mood. “We’re all we have in this dark world. We should stick together. We’ve been through a lot, the four of us: Loki and I, a timeline reset; you and Darcy, two crazy brothers; the four of us, a war or two; the death of Loki’s birth father; the loss of our father; weddings; visions; agencies. We have to have faith that in a few month’s time, we’ll have the other Stones. Once they’re destroyed, Thanos can’t touch us. The Realms will be safe.”

“We’re in it together,” Darcy said, smiling from where she was. “We’re a family, aren’t we?”

“Yes, we are,” Loki confirmed. “And we better get a move on if we want to resolve this problem as quickly as possible.”

“That’s right. This is far from over,” a voice said behind them. They all turned. Everyone’s face was graced with shock. After a day like today, there was plenty of shock to go around. Standing behind the furniture looking all smug and successful, there Strange was, holding a briefcase and the Scepter. “Are you guys ready to go into the third phase?”