Chapter 29
As predicted, the perimeter of the hideout was boiling in S.H.I.E.L.D. agents by the time they arrived. At least thirty men on sight, but Natasha pointed to a few broken windows and they decided to double the number, just in case.
"They know you broke him out." The spy muttered, caressing her gun as if measuring the men between her and the entrance.
"Well there weren´t many choices to begin with, were they?" Bruce answered in a whisper. "What´s the plan?"
Loki took a step forward. Bruce frowned.
"One would think your father would´ve taken measures to make sure you weren´t able to drop fifty men with a shake of your hand."
"He did." The god smirked, and pushed a hand firmly between Thor´s shoulder blades. Five seconds later no man stood in their way.
"Did you-"
"They´re sleeping." Loki answered Steve´s question before he could finish it.
"Trying to get into my team´s good side, Loks?" Tony teased. Loki rolled his eyes and walked into the park first. When they found him again, he stood unmoving a couple steps away from the sealed entrance. Steve passed him.
"Weapons ready." He ordered, steadying his grip on his gun and shield. "Thor and Loki, if you can get your hands on one, try and get them to tell you where Clint is. The rest of us, shoot to kill, are we clear?" He asked to no one in particular. The team nodded and assumed positions.
Tony checked the suit´s stats once more, before Thor reached forward and rested his hand on the stone to open it.
They stiffened.
The entrance of the burrow looked grim and unwelcoming, but otherwise not particularly menacing. Taking a deep breath, Steve walked in first, followed by Thor. Bruce sent a last worried glance back, before following as well, no doubt still uncomfortable. Hulking out was his last resource, but he hadn´t quite been able to choose staying safely in the tower over going in to retrieve Clint.
Loki hadn´t moved an inch, and when he noticed, Tony walked back to him. Out the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of Natasha standing at the edge of the burrow with her gun firmly fisted. He began suppressing a smile, but any hint of it faded the moment he noticed Loki´s solemn expression.
"Let´s go, sweetcheeks. We´ve got to find birdie and shoot some aliens in the head." He tried, but Loki didn´t smile. Instead, his hand raised as if to land on his shoulder, but at the last moment he let it drift back down, barely grazing the suit´s chest. His eyes seemed to see through him, and Tony fought the urge to fidget. "I planned on giving you this inside, but maybe now´s the time?" he asked, and almost flinched when Loki´s stare returned to full focus and targeted the object in his hand.
"How in the nine realms did that get into your hands?"
He felt the hints of a smile. The god looked like a child caught red-handed.
"Thor brought it back when he checked the apartment. he said it was the only non-harmed thing, and that he´d seen you store energy in stuff like this before. So? Was this your plan B, babe?"
"Caution has never killed anyone." Loki dismissed his accusation, and pushed it back to him. "Keep it. If you stay close to me I should be able to reach for its energy. If I take it with me and get in a fight, it could empower my enemies."
"Fine... Loks?"
"Yes?"
"Everything alright?"
Loki´s eyes narrowed, and his expression turned even darker, if possible.
"I´m sure you know the possibility that I get caught is quite high, given that they manage to separate me from Thor and outnumber me significantly." He started. Tony wanted to turn his back on him and walk into the burrow right then because he knew what it was about, but the god had him pinned on the spot. "If it comes to that... I expect you to take the necessary measures."
Tony´s eyebrows arched on their own, surprised at the bluntness of the expected petition. And then he broke into a smile.
"A bit too dramatic, aren´t w-"
"I will die on my feet. Fighting. Like a god." Loki interrupted him coldly."I will not allow myself to be taken prisoner to a lowly race, to endure their humiliation." He swallowed loudly, and his eyes softened somewhat. "And if I am somehow dear to you, then you won´t allow it, either." He finished, and hopped forward with such ferocity and speed that Tony didn´t quite register the feeling of teeth against his lower lip until a tongue was roughly thrust into his mouth.
It was gone in the blink of an eye, though, down the burrow´s entrance with Loki himself.
Still dazed, it took Tony a couple minutes to regain control of his mind and walk to the edge as well. Natasha waited there for him, sizing him up with a glance.
"Can you believe him?!" He asked, scandalized. She shrugged.
"I have a cyanide tooth. Consider it an honor." Was all she said before walking down as well.
--
Clint heart them move. Even his guard shuffled a bit on its place, excited. They emitted sputters and hisses and a dormant, hidden spark of magi within his mind translated them into emotion.
Excitement.
Clint knew right then Loki had set foot into the burrow, and that it meant his team was with him. He allowed himself a smile.
Whoever won today, it was the end of his pitiful state. He just hoped his team got to him before the aliens got too desperate.
--
The bodies hit the ground with a dry thudding noise, and the remaining Chitauri hissed in pain when Steve used the shield to crush him against the side of the rocky wall.
"Where are the others?" He yelled, while the rest of them formed a circle around him and Thor. "Where´s our teammate?"
Much like its captive counterpart had done so long ago, the Chitauri pulled a grotesque imitation of a human smile.
"How considerate... You brought the traitor in yourself..."
"Tell me where or friend is held, you lowly beast." Thor demanded, without taking the bait. When the Chitauri didn´t answer, he spared a sideways glance at Steve, before taking hold of one of its arms and twisting it until a cracking noise echoed around the tunnel. Steve´s eyes narrowed, but he made no comment when Thor repeated both the question and the procedure on the other arm.
The Chitauri´s scream was painful on itself, but no other words left its mouth. Grunting something that sounded suspiciously like "useless", Steve pulled the shield back, and aimed an ending hit to its neck with the edge.
Thor´s hand clamped around his arm and stopped the shield a inch from the alien´s neck.
"What are you-"
"Loki!" The god paid him no heed, looking over his shoulder to yell instead.
Loki turned on his spot with a sour smirk on his face.
"Must we resort to trickery now, high prince?"
Steve rolled his eyes as the sorcerer walked to them. Either Loki had unrealistic expectations about his chances in this mission or he was well past worrying.
"Really determined, your creatures." Thor gestured to the heaving Chitauri propped against the wall. Loki huffed.
"These are no creatures of mine." Was all he said as he pulled a sleeve back, to reveal a pale forearm surrounded by an eerie greenish glow. He proceeded to shove his hand into the Chitauri´s ribcage, making it unfurl and throw its mouth open in another, this time mute scream.
Thor swallowed, but his eyes kept focus on the point where his brother´s forearm disappeared into the alien´s body.
It was over as fast as it started. Loki pulled his hand out perhaps a bit rougher than was needed, and the Chitauri toppled to the ground, convulsing for a couple of seconds before it stopped moving altogether.
"Did you find out?" Thor asked. Loki frowned, like fighting a headache back, and then pulled Steve´s gun off his hand, to shoot a single bullet through the fallen alien´s head.
"The burrow is deep." He muttered. "Follow."
He walked forward without a look behind, and they were at his heels soon enough.
"What else did you see? How many are there?" Tony questioned. The suit´s boots hitting against the rock was already grating on his nerves, and he found that he had to speak.
"Not too many. But enough." Loki answered, giving him a meaningful stare. "They know I´m here."
"What?!"
Loki allowed himself a smirk when Thor and Tony´s voices overlapped.
"I´m sure you didn´t notice, as you were not... present at the time to witness what happened when you bombed the mothership." He started. "These creatures are intimately connected. I entered the dead one´s mind to sort through its memories. They felt me. If they haven´t appeared it´s because we´re no doubt being prepared an ambush.
"... Were you planning on telling us?"
"Well I didn´t really count on it but you did ask."
Tony mouthed a curse at Loki´s shit-eating grin.
"I´m going to punch you right after we get out."
"Can you do this some other time?" Bruce shot them both a glare as he struggled to keep up with the team.
--
Loki felt them coming.
Or rather, felt themselves going towards them. Not as many as he´d expected, all right, but still enough, as he´d said, each and every one of them buzzing in expectation.
And he was running a straight line for them.
He focused on controlling his breathing as he ran, stealing a furtive look at his surroundings. Tony ran at his side. Thor and Steve at the other. Banner struggled but kept up, and Romanoff closed the march, looking back every two steps in case something tried to surprise them.
They followed him.
He´d promised to take them to their companion. He made a double take at that because well... He had never explicitly promised such a thing. They had all been eager to believe he was willing to help them, all because of his relationship with Stark.
Sentiment.
He held no hopes about his possibilities. He would never see Asgard again, he realized, and the sudden certainty burned a searing pain through his chest. He would never again see her golden towers and green fields bathed in sunlight. He would never have another chance to look upon his mother, with her sweet eyes and soft hands.
Even with all her flaws, he had to admit it. He would miss Asgard.
Suddenly, his nose filled with a scent, and his skin felt the ghost touches of a memory. A smell of leather, softener and cologne. Alcohol. Oil. The weight of a hand on his shoulder and a head against his chest.
He cast a murderous glare towards Tony.
The end of the tunnel was near. So were they.
Yet he ran.
Sentiment, indeed.
--
It was as if someone had thrown a burning match into an ant hill.
The communal screech of hundreds of Chitauri pierced his ears, and his guard dragged him deeper into the hole in the rock that was his prison. He was frustrated and weakened. He wasn´t Hawkeye. There was nothing he could do to help his friends.
--
They saw themselves surrounded so fast that none of them could´ve really pointed at when the fight exactly broke out.
Tony shot his cannons at every direction that wasn´t currently holding one of his team members, burning Chitauri on the spot. At his side, Thor sent five or six through the air with every hammer blow, and Steve, Bruce and Natasha´s gunshots rang on his head even filtered by the helmet.
There were too many. He realized.
He fired again, and looked over his shoulder. Loki moved lightning-fast at Thor´s side, shooting spell after spell, but even from afar Tony noticed his frustration. His magic was obviously not nearly as powerful as it should. He shot his way to his other side.
Just in case.
--
Loki caught the dull gleam of the red and gold armor at his side, and a part of him wanted to roll his eyes at the human´s stupidity and arrogance. The rest of him wanted to roll his eyes at the utter cliché turn this was taking.
However, he focused back on the fighting. The Chitauri were not a particularly powerful race, but his magic was off, and he hadn´t been cautious enough to bring other weapons. They would only slow him. And he ´d expected Odin would have let him actually kill someone when he was attacked, instead of uselessly knocking them out.
They were being pushed back. His shoulder bumped Thor´s, and he looked back to see a deep cave that dug its way into the wall. Romanoff and Steve were already at its entrance, surrounded by corpses.
He punched Thor´s arm to get his attention, and pointed.
"I CAN BLOCK IT." He yelled over the gunshots, making Tony look as well. Thor´s eyes gleamed with hope. If they managed, they could leave space so that only a small number of enemies made it across the block, and that would increase their chances significantly.
Tony covered their backs as they ran past their teammates, and Loki repeated his words to Steve in a rush.
The soldier got the message instantly and wasted no time pulling both Natasha and Bruce in with them.
As soon as they stepped in, a cold wind rushed past them, revealing the passage to be deeper than it looked. The team stepped back, leaving only Loki and Thor at the entrance.
Loki waited, and wanted to scream. Tony was still shooting the Chitauri at his back, that idiot.
"GET IN" He yelled.
"I´M GOING" Tony yelled back, shooting a last blast before running for the makeshift shelter.
He didn´t see the Chitauri aiming behind him, or the way its weapon lit up with the deadly energy Loki had seen burning a hole through the television screen when they attacked his apartment.
He clenched his teeth together. He´d make it. He had to. He launched his spell at the cave´s roof, and watched as the first rock tore itself and fell at his feet.
Tony hopped over it, and the Chitauri shot its blast.
He wouldn´t make it.
The rocks fell.
--
Steve coughed and fanned the fluttering dust off his face.
"Natasha? Bruce?" He asked, even though he had them both firmly held.
"I´m fine." Natasha muttered. Bruce didn´t answer, but his steady breathing was too regular to be natural, and Steve decided to leave him to it.
"Thor? Tony? Loki?"
No answer came.
He stood up in a pinch, in response to the pang in his gut, and rushed to where the entrance had been before Loki collapsed it.
There he found the end.
Tony leaned against the rocky wall, regaining his breath, his pale face visible through the open visor.
Thor and Loki were nowhere to be seen, until he followed Tony´s eyes down and found them.
--
Tony fought to breath, willing himself away of shock´s territory.
He heard the shot he didn´t see. The rocks were already falling at his back but one look at the gods´ faces and he´d known.
He focused his eyes on Loki´s, and had time to wish he´d thanked Pepper for being o excellent.
And then Thor´s hand was there, bending the suit´s metal in his grip when he threw him against the wall. And the dust had blinded him.
Now Thor laid on his back on the ground with Loki on the opposite wall, and for some reason Steve was pressing down on his chest and his fingers were stained red. His mind sped up and joined the loose ends for him just as Natasha helped a pale Bruce closer.
Everyone was on edge, and Steve flinched a little when Loki moved, but quickly resumed his pressure. Loki crawled to the other god´s side, and after some hesitation, laid a hand on his shoulder.
Thor looked at him. His mouth foamed red, but he managed a word.
"Jane"
Tony felt more than saw Loki flinch, but the god made an amazing show of self-control when he nodded calmly, as if nothing was amiss.
"I will tell her."
Thor´s hand shot and covered Loki´s on his shoulder. Silence was so thick the only sounds were everyone´s heavy breathings. Loki´s eyelids fell into a slow blink, and his free hand trembled when it went to caress Thor´s temple.
"Loki"
Had this been a different situation, Tony would´ve rolled his eyes. He swallowed thickly instead and watched Loki shake his head.
"Rest well, brother."
That did it.
Thor´s eyes lightened, and lost focus. His breathing halted once, and then ceased altogether. They watched as the fallen god´s fingers tightened around Loki´s hand before finally going limp.
All the while, Loki stared in silence with no apparent emotion in his face.
The forced peace didn´t last long.
There was a thudding noise behind them just as a rock was pulled back from the barricade.
Tony felt relieved that it did. It was nice to have a target. He shot the intruder on the spot. And, just like that, Thor´s spell broke.
Loki´s features twisted in rage and he disappeared through the opening.