Chapter Text
The ghostly messengers raced across the normally desolate land. The message carried brought joy and consternation wherever they didn't bring outrage and bloodlust. Across the lands of the dead word was carried until it started to spread across the lands of the living.
Odin heard word of the happenings among the dead in front of his family, never seeing Loki exchange concerned and shocked looks with Frigga. Nor did he realize that Thor ushered them protectively away while listening to Loki hiss a quiet explanation that he knew the future Iron Man and Dr. Strange. Once safely away from the All Father Frigga insisted they go directly to rescue both human men, Friends of her sons she named both. Loki had flushed in embarrassment even as Thor gave orders for the servants to hurriedly arrange for their journey. They were gone before Odin calmed down, seeking out both men and Hela Odindotter. Heimdall was encouraged to open the Bifrost straight to the home of the Mystic Order that Loki knew Strange was trained by, interrupting their own uproar.
Kamar-Taj was in an uproar as they heard the news and immediately started preparations to retrieve their wayward members. Dormammu was generous with helping to outfit whoever was going on the mission to retrieve Stephen and Tony. Tao even broke out some of the more powerful artifacts for various Masters as they prepared for yet another rescue mission.
In the lands of the dead warriors and healers and teachers of magic gathered at the command of their Queen. Ready and eager to serve while protecting the still living Merchant of Death and his bonded husband.
~~~
Loki took advantage of the stunned silence caused by their arrival to storm up to the Ancient One, uncaring of those around them.
"Where is the misbegotten fool you left leadership too?!" Loki demanded furiously. "What have he and Stark done?!"
"What?!" The Ancient One thundered, bringing the god of mischief up short.
"Ah, another one who remembers at least one of the futures the boys are trying to stop," an unknown bulky human male dressed in Mastery robes off to one side said in a knowing tone. "Good,you can help us get them back ."
Loki threw a scathing look at the male even as Frigga bristled on his behalf and attempted to step forward to defend him. Loki acted to stop her before he processed what he had gathered of the male in that glace, throwing out an arm to keep Frigga and Thor back as he tensed for a fight. The tooth filled smirk the male aimed at him as Loki prepared to fight for his life and the lives of his family did nothing to comfort the trickster.
"Good," the male purred. "I see why I took you as a vassal in some of those other timelines. "Alas, the very fact you remember even one of the futures that Tony and Stephen seek to prevent mean they have a greater claim to you than I do even in this reduced form. If they fail to claim you for themselves, little trickster, I will have no problem inducting you into my own forces rather than leave you wasted to run free."
"Dormammu!" The Ancient One said sharply. "You agreed to act as a Master of this Order in good standing!"
"Which is why I am not dragging him with us to see if the boys wouldn't like the trickster as a gift or otherwise forcing the issue immediately," Dormammu said simply. "Besides, we have to get them back and Tony is still being poisoned. Loki will be useful in retrieving them if they have overly upset someone... again."
"Lord Dormammu? Of the Dark Dimension?" Loki asked, mouth suddenly parched.
"Yes?" Dormammu asked in clear amusement.
"What fresh hell have those idiots gotten involved with this time?!" Loki asked the world rhetorically in despair.
"Yeah, you remember them," Dormammu laughed. "Join our preparations. We're going to go get them and drag them home in the next twelve hours or so. Did Frigga or Thor remember or was it only you?"
"Just me," Loki said faintly.
"Then they can wait for us to get back," Dormammu waved the information off, immediately dismissing their participation in the rescue mission.
Loki winced but mentally conceded that if Stark and Strange had actually gotten mixed up with Hela he would much rather that the other two royals remained safe on Midgard. Then too he didn't want either of them near the demonic Dark Lord playing at being human just at the moment.
"Your mother and brother are welcome here or to accompany us if you wish to participate in the rescue mission," the Ancient One said ruefully. "I have a son and son-in-law to rescue so if they remain I can not attend to them. Master Li will see to their needs if they remain."
Loki blinked as he processed the meaning in relation to Strange and Stark that would have.
"You adopted one or both of them," Loki said flatly. He had been one of the beings consulted over the centuries along with Queen Frigga to see if it was possible to restore her fertility. Even with what healing had been achieved the woman before him had, to his knowledge, never birthed a child.
"Yes," the Ancient One agreed with a smirk.
"I know more of Stark than Strange but I can honestly tell you that Stark, while brilliant, is a disaster in his own right," Loki said in exasperation. "Strange just irritated me and I have yet to pay him back for the insult."
"So long as the retaliation causes nothing overly serious between the three of you I will not interfere," the Ancient One said with a small pleased hum. "We would rather not have things escalate into an actual feud or something requiring diplomatic levels of soothing various egos."
"I can keep it personal," Loki allowed. "I still refuse to let him get away with keeping me falling continuously for a full thirty minutes."
The bright laughter that engendered from both Frigga and the Ancient One startled most of the people present even as it openly annoyed Loki.
"He must have looped a portal that you passed through," the Ancient One said in open amusement. "Or used a section of the Mirror Dimension against you. Simple but effective without harm caused. Both could have been used to far more deadly effect. I wonder what caused him to be annoyed enough with you to do that but unwilling to actively fight you? If nothing else his method definitely shows a complete lack of malice at the time he acted."
Loki's clear irritation and ruffled feathers were soothed even as his open annoyance rose. He wasn't that pathetic!
"Don't be so irritated, my little trickster," Frigga offered. "I have known this woman for longer than when we were called upon to see to her healing. While the technique is simple she once held Odin with the same trick for a fortnight... Although, I do believe he wasn't left falling for the entire time while we discussed business. It was one of the events that soured him from accepting Mage craft as anything worthy of a true warrior because of how easily she bested him as an apprentice. At the time it was an accident but it was also used effectively in the bargaining during the meeting. He had intended to force all warriors and mages of Midgard into the Forces of Asgard. Instead, he felt humiliated enough to suddenly decide they were unworthy of being counted among the warriors of Asgard and potentially earn honors he would have to acknowledge. It saved them, I think."
The rescue party left three hours later with Thor and Frigga staying behind to help guard Kamar-Taj in the absence of most of the Masters.
Loki, Dormammu, and the Ancient One led the group through the first portal to the place Loki had agreed to start their Skywalk from. They were in complete agreement on the goal of their task. Stark and Strange would be returned to Kamar-Taj forthwith or they would know why!
~~~
Yinsen's ghostly form stood in shock with his family as he heard the summons to service. He knew in his heart even before the magic of command took hold that he had to answer the call to help this patient.
"Return safely to us," Mrs. Yinsen whispered.
"I will try but Stark is stubborn and I barely kept him alive while the Ten Rings held us," Yinsen said softly as he kissed his wife goodbye.
"He kept you alive for longer, needing you to help him," Mrs. Yinsen said softly smiling at him. "I will be forever grateful for that. Go, save him again if you can."
Yinsen nodded sharply and left with the messenger sent to retrieve him.