Loki Laufeyson - Unseen Echoes
Loki Laufeyson - Unseen Echoes
The air in the cell felt stale, heavy with tension as the Avengers quarrelled amongst themselves.
"Look." Steve said, his voice firm. "We can't afford to lose focus now. This mission is bigger than Tony."
"Are you seriously suggesting we just leave him here?" Clint's voice was incredulous, anger bristling barely beneath the surface. "He's one of us, Steve. We don't leave our own behind."
"Look, I care about Tony too." Steve said, his voice softening ever so slightly. "But there will be more lives at stake if we don't move forward."
"We need to save Tony first." Clint countered, crossing his arms defiantly. "You know he wouldn't hesitate to do the same for any of us."
A cacophony of voices erupted as the rest of the Avengers chimed in with their opinions, each trying to shout over the other. As much as I hated being locked up with them, I had to admit, watching them argue was far better entertainment than anything I could conjure up myself.
"Enough!" Natasha yelled, causing the room to fall silent. In the months I'd been on Midgard, I'd not once heard her raise her voice before. "We need to figure this out together, as a team. This isn't getting us anywhere."
"Nat's right." Agreed Bruce, always on Natasha's side. "We can't afford to be divided right now."
I sighed, rubbing my temples. As much as I revelled in chaos, this was hardly the time or place for it.
"Perhaps there is a way to satisfy both concerns." I offered quietly, drawing their attention towards me. They eyed me warily, seemingly suddenly unsure of where my loyalties lay. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I’d gone with Tony’s plan despite the risks, and I’d stayed with the Avengers when said-plan fell through. By the gates of Hellheim, I’d even charged head first into a battle, with limited powers, to help rescue Amelie. I had evolved, grown, and found myself caring for these Midgardians more than I ever thought possible. They should have no reason to doubt my motives now.
Clint tilted his head, his expression relaxing. "Go on." He said, surprisingly supportive.
I gave him a nod. "Perhaps we could split into two teams - one focused on… whatever the mission at hand is, while the other works to free Tony from the serum's effects." I proposed, watching their faces carefully.
"Nice idea Loki." Steve sounded impatient. "But the serum is permanent. Bruce and Tony both agreed on that."
All eyes turned on Banner, who shifted uncomfortably. "It's true."
“Since when have impossible odds ever put us off before?” Clint said, his voice hard.
"Clint, I understand your concern, but we have a mission to complete." Steve insisted, his jaw clenched. "We can't sacrifice the lives of millions just to save one man, even if he is our friend."
"Tony's in trouble, Steve, we can't just leave him here! We don’t even have a plan yet. ‘Rescue everyone’ is not a plan!" Clint argued, frustration evident in every line of his face.
The tension between everyone was building, making the air itself seem to crackle with energy. It would have been amusing, in another life, to see the great Captain America at odds with his fellow Avengers over something as simple as saving a life.
As I watched them argue, a sudden idea struck me with the force of Thor's hammer. The realization made me come to an abrupt halt in the middle of my musings, the hairs on my arms standing on end.
"Two doses." I muttered, my thoughts racing faster than I could articulate them. "What if he has two doses?"
I could feel the attention of the room shift towards me, a mixture of curiosity and hope flickering in their eyes.
"Explain." Steve demanded, his voice firm but eager for any possibility of salvation for his friend.
“The serum changes the person’s…. mind, correct? Their thoughts, their opinions. What if we give him another dose? Change him back?”
For a moment, silence reigned as they considered my suggestion. Then, almost in unison, their gazes turned to Bruce, who had been quiet throughout the ordeal.
Bruce's brown eyes were filled with uncertainty, the gears turning behind them as he considered my idea. His mouth opened and closed a few times before he finally spoke up.
"It's... It's possible." He admitted hesitantly. "There's a chance it could work. Though it’d be impossible to know the combination of changes required to make Tony… Tony, again. It could take years, decades even.”
I deflated slightly.
“Or…” Bruce whispered, my head snapping up. “Perhaps administering another dose of the serum will negate its effects. It's not unheard of for certain substances to cancel each other out when combined." He sounded uncertain.
"But?" Natasha prompted, her voice guarded.
"But, it might not work." He admitted, looking down at his hands. "Or... it could make things worse."
A heavy silence descended upon the room as we weighed our options. I could feel the weight of their stares on me every now and then, as if they expected me to have some secret knowledge that would guarantee success. But despite my godly status and magical prowess, I was just as lost as they were.
"Is there any way to know for sure?" Steve asked, his eyes filled with concern.
"Unfortunately, no." Bruce sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We don't have enough data on this serum to predict its effects accurately."
"Wait." I interjected, my heart heavy with doubt. "Amelie should have a say in this. It's her uncle, after all."
"Time's running out, Loki." Natasha replied. "Every minute we waste puts Tony, and countless others, at risk."
"Risk or not, it's still Amelie's call." I insisted, feeling a surge of protectiveness for the young woman who had somehow wormed her way into my heart. I knew she was strong, but this decision could haunt her.
"Kidnap him." Bucky suggested nonchalantly, leaning against the wall. His casual tone not at all matching the gravity of his words.
The room was silent for a beat.
"Are you insane?" Clint hissed, eyes wide in disbelief. "We can't just kidnap Tony Stark."
Bucky merely shrugged, his piercing eyes unreadable. "It'd give us time to talk to Amelie and do the mission without giving up on Tony."
Thor, who had been silently observing the conversation, spoke up softly. "That is not a terrible plan."
Steve sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Yes it is. We don’t actually know where Tony is, he might not even be in the building anymore.”
Bucky raised an eyebrow. “Cheers Steve.”
“It makes sense for him to be here.” Natasha continued, ignoring Bucky. “Tony was their plan all along, they wont want to risk losing him.”
Clint tilted his head. “Yeah until they need him. Tony’s got more influence than the rest of us combined. If these guys want something done, it’ll be Tony they use to do it.”
“If they use Tony, they can get anyone to unwittingly be an accomplice.” Bruce agreed.
Natasha frowned. “In that case, we’re not going to be able save anyone unless we remove Tony from the equation anyway. He’s the power play.”
Steve crossed his arms, his eyes darting between everyone. “These guys want to bring the Avengers down, but we don’t know what else they want. We don’t know how many more people might be in danger.”
“They said they’ve got loads of serum.” Clint offered. “Why would they have that much unless they plan on using it?”
“The question is, on who?” Bruce asked gravely.
We fell quiet as everyone thought.
One of the group’s leaders had seemed distantly familiar, though I hadn’t bothered to dwell on it at the time. My mind recalled his hateful gaze, his portly figure, and his short frame. Why had I recognised him?
My thoughts moved on. The image of the man who had threatened us, when Tony had unwittingly switched sides, played back in my mind, his sinister voice still echoing in my ears. "Part of the game” he had said. “We wanted to ensure that you'd all soon share the same change of heart as dear Mr. Stark.”
What could he possibly mean by that? How would they use Tony's newfound mind-set against us? They could change our minds, but for what purpose?
As the god of mischief, I'd seen many schemes unfold over the centuries, but this felt different. It wasn't just about causing chaos for chaos' sake - it was something far more insidious. The stakes were higher, and the players carried a more profound weight than I'd ever witnessed anyone manage before.
I thought back on our recent… adventures, recalling how Tony's demeanour had changed. How he’d become more and more despondent, and how quickly he would become irritable. His usual wit and sarcasm had deteriorated, one of the first signals that something had been genuinely wrong.
Steve’s voice interrupted my thoughts. “For whatever reason, this is at least partly about us. That’s why Tony was their best option, he has influence over us, but also over most of the US.”
Suddenly everything clicked into place in my mind.
This group wanted to bring the Avengers down. With enough serum, they could change the minds of everyone in New York so that they would despise us, but that could take decades. Not to mention it would be almost impossible to work out who had been dosed and who hadn’t. The easier, and more reliable option, would be to change the Avengers themselves. Make them a group that the entire city of New York would come to hate.
And with Tony's influence, the world would follow.
I stood abruptly, my eyes wide. “We need to find Tony.”