Chapter Text
Chapter 1 : And All Hell Break Loose
"So, did you guys ever heard about Shawarma? There is a Shawarma joint just about three blocks of here and if I'm not mistaken, their building is not destroyed so we could go there and eat like right now because i'm so hungry! Don't worry, my treat!" The Billionaire told his teammates cheerfully while walking together with the other Avengers.
Hearing this, Natasha, Steve, and Bruce chuckled in amusement, while both Thor and Clint nodded their heads in agreement.
"Yeah! Let's go then! I'm so hungry!" Added Clint while picking up some of his arrows that he'd been using during his fight with those Chitauri jerks.
"I would like to join to try this Shawarma very much, Man of Iron. But if i may remind you, my comrades, we are not finished yet. " Thor said grimly while looking at the Stark Tower with a mournful expression.
"Alright then, let's go to see what Rudolph doing in my Tower. Hopefully, he is still inside that crater the Hulk slammed him down because i want to take a picture of it and hang it in my lab." Declared Tony. Anger fills his face for the god who had him thrown out of the window, killing Coulson, and for attacking Earth.
"I will put my arrow in his eyes. Nobody stops me." Stated Clint with so much of hatefulness in his tone. He hated what Loki had done to him. That guy mind-controlled him and made him killed his friends and make him almost kill Nat, and now that son of a bitch will pay.
Hearing that part of his new comrades' declaration makes Thor want to protect his little brother but what could he do? Loki had tried to subjugating Midgard and killed so many Midgardians. He is angry with both of him and Loki. Because he couldn't do a damn thing to save Loki from this situation now and for all the destruction that Loki had done.
He also felt angry towards his parents, and towards his friends on Asgard. If their parents never hide the truth of Loki's heritage from them, maybe something like this would never happen. If Lady Sif and the Warriors Three never treated Loki like he isn't important, then maybe Loki will not get betrayed and might never attack him with the Destroyer last year and maybe all will be good between him and his brother. If he never acted like a stupid oaf that he is, if he never pulls a jest over his brother’s choice of learning Seidr and if he listened if Loki needs him, then maybe, none of this will happen. Even though he lied sometimes. and maybe...
Maybe Loki could become a part of the Avengers with him if none of this happens.
But alas, what's done is done.
The Avengers using the Quinjet to get into the Stark Tower. The ride would be pretty quiet if Steve didn't take the initiative to converse with Thor about the Norse myths or what Asgard looks like and about their technology from Bruce.
Tony quickly gives Bruce the new set of clothes he needs after his transformation to become the Hulk. When they arrived on the Stark Tower's Helipad, the Avengers immediately going down using the elevator to the floor where Loki lies last Tony and the Hulk or Bruce saw him.
"Hey J, how is our resident Norse God of Mischief?"
"Welcome Back, Sir, and companies. As Sir inquiry, Loki currently still laying on the crater Mr. Hulk has made. He is still completely conscious until about five minutes later, something happened with him. His eyes emitted blue light before he completely closed his eyes and not awaking or moving anymore." Reported Jarvis dutifully.
All of the Avengers instantly on alert and curious about what was going on with Loki. Everyone preparing themselves when the elevator doors opened and all of them goes around the pale figure who was still laying inside the deep crater with closed eyes. All of them putting out their weapon to ready themselves when Thor stepped closer and shook his brother's shoulder.
"Loki, wake up. Whatever you are plotting now won't work." Ordered Thor while trying to wake his brother once more while inside he felt something wrong with his brother.
The Hulk is strong, yes, but the beast’s attack shouldn't give a result in Loki being unconscious. Even though Loki is not of Asgard by birth, Loki should have higher resistance from the Hulk's attack which will be resulted in at least some broken bones, not getting knocked out like this. Thor tried again and like the first tried, there is no response from Loki who is still unconscious inside the crater.
Natasha observed all things that are happening before her eyes when she noticed that Loki's chest is not going up and down which is...
"Guys? It seems that he is not breathing," Steve said Natasha's though out loud.
But, how could he have died when he just has Hulk smashed him? And here he thought that the gods supposed to be immortal, or at least, hard to kill. Tony and Bruce turned their gaze to Steve who is still looming on Loki, frowned in confusion.
Thor just wants to check his brother by moving his hands, wanting to lift his brother’s body out of the crater when suddenly both of Loki's eyes open. His usual emerald green eyes were glowing blue just like the staff that Natasha holds right now.
And suddenly Loki's body is vanished before them and reappeared behind Thor only to kick the Thunder God until his body hit the wall and makes another crater in this room. The Avengers almost started running to attack Loki before they stopped their movements when they heard the different voices that goes out from Loki's mouth.
"I never thought that you, a group of weakling mortals and an idiot prince will succeed in defeating the force of my Chitauri. Your little back-water planet did have a lot of good improvisations. But seeing that this little Jotun runt is the one who leads the invasion, i shouldn't be surprised." Thor felt his eyes grow wide as he processing what the unknown being that using Loki's body speaking right now.
'By Odin's beard... Loki is innocent.' Thought Thor in panic. The evidence is in front of him. What kind of older brother he is? He should have known that his little brother will not do something as horrible as subjugating a whole planet like this. He should have realized that his brother will use trickery and his skill as the Wordsmith instead of doing a full attack like this.
He should have...
"Yes, little Thunderer. I'm borrowing your little brother to become my pretty little puppet, leading the invasion and to take the Tesseract. I don't remember much about what my children had done to him during our lovely sessions many months ago, but i assure you, he isn't dead yet even though he is so useless and failed in acquiring the tesseract. " Thor's grip on his weapon is hardening. He is restraining himself from attacking because it is his brother's body and he did not want to add more injuries than Loki already had.
"...and so weak... he was always screaming, asking of you to come to save him, asking for Odin and his idiotic wife. " Sneered 'Loki' while Thor’s expression continued on being horrified and angry at the same time by whoever this creature that now possessing his little brother’s body talking about.
"My brother is never useless nor weak! It's you who are weak! You, who using my brother's body and name to cause mayhem on Midgard. I'm going to kill you!" Thor roared while raising his Mjölnir.
Seeing the anger in the God of Thunder expression, ‘Loki’ grins like he gets a victory just by angering the Thunderer.
"No matter, you could never find me unless i want to be found and i can always find a new puppet to play with, and now, me being a benevolent god that i am, i will give you back your precious little brother. Good Bye, Odinson. And when we meet again, all of you will know pain. More than seeing your little brother bleeds to the cold embraces of the Lady Death." With that, the glowing in both of Loki's eyes vanished and Loki himself slumped down to the floor, both of his eyes now closed.
Wasting no time, Thor ran to his brother's side and startled when he sees soft green light materializing over Loki's body and after the light faded, all of them can see the bruises and wounds almost everywhere on Loki's pale body.
Both Thor and the Avengers stunned, disbelieve, and shocked over them. Is this really the guy that they had just been fighting the whole time? Does it mean that after all this time that Loki is innocent and none of them, even his brother, notice that the same thing that he has done to Clint and Selvig is being done to him, probably in a more worst and painful way?
"We are fucked up." Muttered Tony, while combing his hair with his hand. He can't believe that all of this will end like this.
"Oh Norns. Brother! Loki! Oh, no. please don't be dead, brother! Please! I can't! Not again! " Thor cried while hugging his brother's limp form and then he felt it, a wet feeling between his fingers.
Blood, and more blood that comes out from Loki's wound.
"It wasn't him. He never wants to attack the Earth. He is just another victim." Steve said softly, eyes still widening in shock and never leaving the god of mischief that being hugged by his brother now.
"Damn! All this time..." Exclaimed Clint in despair.
His bow and arrow fall from his grip, can't believe the sight in the front of him. Loki, the one that controlled him also being controlled by another unknown being, and now Clint knows that Loki is just a puppet and maybe the first victim of the Chitauri. His hatred for Loki is extinguished, leaving him horrified and pity towards the younger Odinson.
Natasha stood frozen with her gaze fixed on the body that belongs to Thor's brother. At first, when she thought of Loki after Loki being contained in the special prison the SHIELD has, Natasha planning on getting to know more about Loki's purposes about this whole invasion thing because of what she knows, Loki supposed to be smart. He is a Trickster so he should have found a creative way to get what he wanted.
That's why she thought his action is a bit off until that unknown being revealing himself. And with this revelation, she might never know what is the real Loki like. She looks to Loki's face and she felt her eyes widen in disbelief of all the bruises on Loki's face, especially his left eye socket that seemed odd. A broken jaw. Fingers on his hands are broken, in a weird angle and so does a few of his toes, and also stab wounds, and more stab wounds it seems under his armor.
Loki lost an eye too it seems. And his lips have a wound that looks like something small being punctured in the left corner.
Like... a needle.
Damn…
So many wounds and blackened bruises on his body. Blood coming out of Loki's body at a rapid pace. Seeing this, Natasha asked Bruce who just recovering from his shock to check on Loki. Bruce knelt on the floor beside where Loki's body that still being held by Thor.
"Thor, may i check on Loki? If he is still having a pulse, there is a chance, no matter how small it is to save Loki." Bruce said softly while keeping his eye contact with Thor.
"Aye, you may check on Loki, Doctor Banner. Please... do everything you can. I will be indebted to you for the rest of my life. "
"No need for that, Thor. I'm just helping a friend in need." The Doctor replied. Thor gives him a big smile even though he still looks grieving.
Norns bless the good doctor's heart.
Thor letting out a shaky breath, eyes never left his brothers still form. He will not survive from the madness that once tried to claw its way to his mind when Loki let go to die and if his little brother dies now, Thor is one hundred percent sure that the madness and grief seem likely will take him.
And he doesn’t want that.
"I'm so sorry brother. I should have seen it! The color differences in your eyes, your act, your interests... i failed you as a big brother. Forgive me Loki. Please forgive me, oh Norns…" Thor whispered with eyes watering, leaning closer to hug his brother and kiss his forehead.
Bruce giving some time for Thor before Thor gently laid Loki down on the floor and Bruce start to check on Loki by pressing two of his fingers on Loki's neck to check if there is still a pulse.
"He is still alive, but barely. I need to treat him immediately. Tony, please help me find a stretcher." Bruce wasted no time to instructed Tony to found a stretcher and when Tony brings the stretcher, Bruce asked Thor to help him put Loki into the stretcher so they can bring Loki immediately to the infirmary. Bruce felt awful because he remembers when the Hulk smashes down Loki's body until that deep crater has Loki's body shaped on it.
No matter what, he is going to do everything he could to save Thor's little brother from the brink of death. At least that's the least he could do. Unbeknownst to him, the other Avengers thought the same too. And then there is Tony who breaks the news.
"Uh, guys, is that Fury's pirate ship coming over here?"