Chapter 42
“Jarvis?” Steve asked.
With no response from the AI, Steve and Bucky shared a glance. To keep Willow asleep, Loki sent a sleeping spell over her.
“Stay here,” Bucky said, at the same time Steve started stalking down the hallway to the living room.
Bucky turned to follow him, but Loki grabbed him by the arm.
“I’m not just going to wait here!” Loki hissed quietly, but Bucky shook him off.
“Keep Willow safe,” he murmured, and left.
Loki gritted his teeth, suppressing a frustrated growl.
He heard Natasha’s voice address Steve.
“Captain Rogers.”
“You’re back early,” Steve answered suspiciously.
“Yeah, well, we got bored,” Tony answered, his voice sounding all kinds of off, “So we came back here.”
Bucky hummed, not the least bit convinced, “Where’d you come from?”
“Does it matter?” Bruce’s voice grew louder as it approached the hallway.
“Uh, yeah,” Bucky retorted, and a loud thump followed as someone got pushed into the wall. “Where did you come from?”
“Sanctuary,” And though Loki had been expecting that, it still sent chills down his spine, “Now get out of our way.”
“Not. Happening,” Bucky growled.
Bucky and Steve started fighting the Not-Avengers, the sharp clinks of Steve’s shield and whirs of Bucky’s arm almost working in rhythm to each other.
For a moment, Loki was almost content to wait out the fight. Two avengers against five chitauri dogs, without the surprise advantage? Easy to take care of.
That is, until he heard dozens of voices join the first five.
Dozens of fake Tonys, Natashas, Bruces, Thors, and, admittedly, significantly less Hawkeyes.
“What the hel--” Bucky’s voice cut off into a strangled cry.
“Bucky!” Steve cried out, sounding too far away to help.
He had to help!
Loki rushed out into the living room, leaving Willow in the crib.
A mass of Chitauri swarmed around Bucky, barely fighting them off. Blood ran down his face from a cut across his forehead, but that was nothing compared to the red stain spreading down the right side of his shirt.
Loki summoned a pair of daggers and threw himself into the fray, taking the shortest route to get to Bucky.
With his back to Bucky’s, they faced the chitauri together.
“I thought,” Bucky panted, “I told you to stay back.”
Loki huffed as another Chitauri fell to the ground, “And I thought I told you that I wouldn’t,” he shot back.
“I--” Bucky’s breathing sharpened against him, “I don’t know how long--”
He collapsed.
The Chitauri leapt to kill him, and Loki put up a shield.
It was weak, but it bought him a few seconds to kill more chitauri, and gave Steve time to reach them.
The shield broke, and again, a wave of Chitauri surged toward them.
“What’s going on here?!” Tony’s real voice came loud and clear from the doorway. In his hands, he held a leftover bag from Taco Bell.
Loki had never been so happy to hear his stupid voice.
The rest of the real Avengers were back.
Relief washed over him.
But then a cry came from the bedroom, and Loki’s heart dropped.
Willow!
He broke through the mass of Chitauri in the hallway, and raced to the bedroom, already cursing at himself for being so stupid.
How could he leave her alone?
He stopped dead in his tracks.
Walls, charred and blackened.
His bed, on fire.
The crib, already burned down to ashes.
Smoke filled the room, making it hard to see anything.
Tyr stood in the center of the room, holding Willow in one arm, and a ball of fire in the other.
“Gotta be honest Loki,” he scowled, shaking his head, “I didn’t think you had it in you.”
Loki coughed, the smoke in his eyes making them water.
“Put her down!” he hissed, rushing towards them, but Tyr merely scoffed, placing a shield between them.
“I mean, I knew you were ergi, but really?” Tyr continued, unaffected by the fire all around them, “You fell in love with not one, but two mortals.”
He brought the ball of fire closer to Willow. She screamed, writhing, trying to get away from it.
“Stop!” Loki screeched desperately, “Leave her alone!”
“You know,” Tyr said, feigning thoughtfulness, retracting his hand slightly, “The Other insisted that the Chitauri required an heir, but you know what? I don’t think they need one anymore.”
He glared at Loki, and summoned a dagger to his hand.
“You will come with me,” Tyr said, bringing the knife to Willow’s throat, “Or else.”
No, Loki thought, immeasurable rage overwhelming him.
A surge of magic rushed through him, coupled with his Jotun ice.
Tyr’s shield shattered, exploding like splinters across the room.
Before he could react, Ice shot across the floor, freezing up the length of Tyr’s body.
The fire snuffed out, and the dagger fell to the floor.
Willow continued to cry as Loki took her from his arms.
“My little Willow, I’m here now,” he murmured a never-ending apology to her. “I’m sorry, so sorry.”
As Willow’s cries calmed down, silence fell, the sounds of the fight in the other room seemingly over as well.
Loki could hear Tony helping Steve get Bucky to the infirmary.
“Loki!”
Something in his chest twisted, and Loki pulled Willow closer against him as Thor rushed into the room.
“Stay back!” he hissed, and only then did he notice how his voice had changed, and how his skin had changed color.
He must’ve shifted sometime during the confrontation.
Thor skidded to a stop, “Loki? Loki, it’s me.”
He sounded like Thor, but . . .
“How do I know it’s you?”
“Ask me,” Thor answered, “Ask me anything.”
What would only Thor know?
“What was the name of your favorite stuffed animal?”
Embarrassed, Thor groaned, “Brother . . . ”
“Just answer the question!”
“Bilgy,” He sighed.
“Thor,” Loki let himself relax, and breathed a sigh of relief.
“Brother!” Thor exclaimed, rushing forward and drawing him in for a surprisingly gentle hug. He grinned brightly, gazing at the baby in Loki’s arm.
“Is that--?”
“Yes, you Oaf,” Loki cut him off.
Thor’s idiotic smile was contagious, his expression immensely warm, and voice softer than Loki had ever heard it, “My neice.”
He reached a finger out to Willow, who promptly wrapped her hand around it, making little curious hums.
“You’ve created quite the stir, Sweet Pea.”
Ah yes, that reminded him.
Loki breathed a tired sigh as he reassumed his Aesir form, “I presume the Avengers have questions?”
“Oh, a great many,” Thor nodded, following Loki to the living room, “Starting with why you thought to hide this from me?”
“What difference would it have made?”
“A great deal, actually,” Thor answered, stern, “For starters, I wouldn’t have left you to fend for yourself!”
“Exactly,” Loki replied, “That is exactly why I did not go to you. You think I can’t do anything myself.”
“Just because you can do something yourself doesn’t mean you should.”
“I wanted to.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“It matters not,” Loki said with an air of finality as they entered the kitchen, “It’s in the past now.”
“What’s in the past now?” Clint asked.
“Nevermind, my friend,” Thor answered, patting him on the back, “My brother has returned!”
Way to go, Captain Obvious.
“Thank you, Thor,” Loki said dryly, even as the Avengers’ eyes had already been on him since the moment he walked in.
He bit his lip, uncomfortable and fighting to appear calm.
“Loki,” Natasha greeted, breaking the silence.
“Romanoff.”
“Nat,” she corrected.
“ . . . Nat,” Loki amended, “I--”
Natasha met his gaze, expectant. Loki stared guiltily down at Willow.
“I’m sorry I can’t--”
“--I know,” Natasha said, “It’s okay. I understand.”
“What about Bruce?”
“Oh he knew from the beginning,” Natasha admitted, “We both did, I guess.”
Loki glanced up in time to see Natasha smile sadly. A thought occurred to him, and he quickly returned the smile with his own, “Well, actually, I wanted to ask you something.”
“Yes?”
“Well, Willow already has an uncle in Thor,” Loki began, and paused a breath, “But I wonder if, perhaps, you would want to be godparents? I know it’s not the sa--”
“Yes!” Natasha exclaimed, “Yes, absolutely!”
Bruce nodded along with her, grinning the widest grin he’d ever seen, “Thank you.”
It was at that moment that Tony decided to return from the infirmary.
“Reindeer games!” he exclaimed fondly, “How goes it?”
“How is Bucky?” Loki asked anxiously.
“Bucky Bear’ll be fine,” Tony answered, “To be quite honest, he’s more worried about you, but Steve’s making sure he stays put.”
“Thank the Norns,” Loki breathed a sigh of relief, “Bring me to them.”
“Loki!” Bucky brightened as soon as he entered the room.
“Are you alright?” Steve asked.
“I should be asking you,” Loki answered, glancing worriedly at Bucky.
“I’m fine,” Bucky insisted, “Where’s Willow? They didn’t touch her did they?”
“Not a scratch,” Loki confirmed as Bucky waved them over.
“Can I hold her?” Bucky asked, and as Loki handed her over, Tony let out an awkward laugh.
“It’s almost like Bucky’s the mom now,” he joked.
Natasha elbowed him in the ribs for them.