Loki Laufeyson - Tainted Reflections
Loki Laufeyson - Tainted Reflections
The moment Tony's fingers released the serum, my heart dropped like a stone in water. Betrayal had been my trade for centuries, but I'd never thought I'd be on the receiving end of it, especially from him. I tried to reassure myself that Tony must have some hidden plan, some ingenious trick up his sleeve, but as he stepped back and met my gaze, there was nothing but cold disdain reflecting back at me. The same expression he wore as he looked at the Avengers.
"Tony, what are you doing?" Steve demanded, disbelief etched in every word.
The man who had taken the serum smirked. He seemed to relish in our shock and horror. "You see, Mr. Stark has had a little... change of heart."
"Impossible!" Thor roared, making me jump, his fists clenched by his side. "Tony would never betray us!"
"Ah, but he would if we dosed him with our serum when he was first attacked." The man replied, his eyes gleaming with malicious intent.
I froze. That was why he'd been so... angry. He'd been dealing with the aftermath of this serum since we met up with him after he'd been attacked, when he'd first set out to find Amelie. My mind raced through the arguments at Stark Tower, how Amelie had accused him of changing his mind so quickly...
It felt like I'd been dropped into ice water.
"Nice try, but that's not possible." Natasha said coolly. "The serum was at Stark Tower. We all saw it."
"Did you really think we only had one batch? We had plenty." The man laughed, his dark chuckle sending chills down my spine. "We just let you believe that that one was the only one, giving you false hope and luring you here."
"Why?" Steve said quietly, his blue eyes blazing with fury before his voice rose to a shout. "Why go through all this trouble? We came here ages ago. You could have had us by now!"
"Trouble? No." The man replied, the smile never leaving his face. "It's been a pleasure. We wanted you all here, willingly. Part of the game you see. We wanted to ensure that you'd all soon share the same change of heart as dear Mr. Stark."
The rage boiling within the Avengers was palpable, but I could hardly focus on their reactions. My mind was racing, trying to make sense of it all. This couldn't be happening. Tony had been there for me when I was at my lowest, helping me find redemption and a purpose. I owed him my loyalty, and yet... how could I trust him now?
"Tony." I said softly, desperate for any sign that he was still on our side. "Tell me there's something you're planning that we don't know about. Please."
I felt several pairs of eyes on me, and out of the corner of my vision I saw Clint turn to me in surprise.
"Sorry, your highness." Tony replied icily. "But this is the end of the line for all of you. Oh!" He turned to the man with the serum. "Loki wasn't really betraying the Avengers. He's a bit of a sap. Pretty sure he's in love with the Stark girl."
I stood there, frozen in shock and disbelief. My mind raced, desperate for an explanation, a clever plan that Tony had devised at the last minute. But as I searched his face for even the slightest hint of deception, I found nothing but cold, unadulterated hatred.
My heart ached as I realised that perhaps the Tony Stark I knew might be gone. And that, ultimately, it was my fault.
My thoughts turned to the last few months I'd spent living at Stark Tower. Of the happy memories I'd made and of the person everyone there had helped me become.
Then, the thought of Amelie's relationship with her uncle hit me like a freight train.
She would be devastated. Strong as she was, I wasn't certain she would survive the knowledge that her beloved uncle had been... erased.
He hadn't died. He'd been changed. Like some kind of sick factory reset that essentially undid every action and decision of Tony's entire life.
They'd moulded him into something else. With death, there was a certain balm that came with the memories of who the person had been, and who they would continue to be. But this... this was like a sick warp of someone's entire being.
In the shadows of death, where memories are meant to serve as untarnished monuments, Tony's essence had not just faded but undergone a cruel metamorphosis. This left no solace in the comforting embrace of a remembered self, because that had now ceased to exist.
He was gone... but had also been left behind.
The tension in the room was like a tightrope stretched to its limits. I stood beside Thor, watching as the man's lips twisted into a cruel smile. The air was thick with anticipation and my fingers itched for my absent daggers. This wasn't going to end well; I could feel it in my bones.
"Guards!" The man barked, his voice echoing throughout the chamber. "Take them away!"
In an instant, my fellow Avengers tensed, their muscles coiling like springs ready to be released. I felt the familiar thrill of battle course through me, but something stayed my hand. It was his laughter – a sinister chuckle that sent shivers down my spine.
"Go ahead, try to fight." The man taunted, eyes gleaming with malice. "But just because he's on our side doesn't mean we won't hurt him."
My gaze darted to Tony, his mouth stretched into a sinister smile I didn't recognise.
I watched as the Avengers reluctantly lowered their weapons, each one weighed down by the knowledge that they were doing so to keep Tony safe. I could see the pain in their eyes, the feeling of helplessness that clawed at their insides. My chest tightened with the same emotions, my own fears for Tony's safety appearing out of nowhere.
"We'll get you out of this." Steve promised quietly, his eyes filled with determination. "We won't leave you behind, Tony."
"Save it, Cap." Tony said with a smirk, his voice dry.
I stood there, my heart pounding in my chest, as the guards advanced on us. My mind raced, searching for any way out of this mess that wouldn't put Tony in more danger.
There was no answer.
My chest constricted as I tried to take in a deep breath, the air feeling heavy and suffocating in this cold, sterile room.
"Are you really so surprised?" Tony sneered, his words slicing through me like a blade. "After all, what are friends for, if not to stab each other in the back?"
"Tony, please." I heard Bruce plead, his voice barely more than a whisper. "You have to fight this - whatever they've done to you. You're stronger than they are."
His laugh was a bitter, hollow sound that echoed through the room, casting a chill over my heart. "Oh, Bruce, always the optimist. It's adorable, really." He shook his head, the smirk never leaving his lips. "But it's time to face reality. I'm not your friend anymore." His eyes flicked to mine. “I was never your friend, not really.”
The words felt like a punch to the gut, and I stumbled back, unable to process the cruelty that dripped from his every syllable.
"Enough!" Steve barked, his voice filled with authority and determination. "We're not giving up on you, Tony. We'll find a way to reverse whatever they did to you."
"Ah yes," Tony drawled sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Captain America to the rescue. Well, don't waste your breath, because I don't want your help."