It was cold. Dark, yet lit by a million stars. Surrounded by a horizon filled with meteorites and coronal clouds that coursed upon an unknown path through the universe. Perhaps it had once been a planet, a world upon its own. Torn apart by dark matter or a supernova. Yet now it stood as a virtually impenetrable fortress of rock, shielded on all sides by a maze of floating debris and destruction that had seen the ruin of any who ventured forth into the Titans domain by Starship or without welcome.
Yet within a rocky crag set back apart from the stone and steel bound stairwell an aura began to shimmer. Pulsing with a life, a power unto its own, it spread casting the rocks surface about it a glow. Vibrations of energy and matter, so fast moving, unable to be seen by just the naked eye yet a portal through time, through space was created.
Stepping through the portal, Loki paused, letting his gaze travel across his surroundings. He knew they'd already be aware of his arrival. Thanos was many things and one of then was not foolish. He had face him on more then one occasion since obtaining the Chitauri Scepter. Each time so far he had been able to outwit, out manipulate the grand titan at his own games; but not without consequence and each time, it had been harder. It left a ironic sort of stale mate to conception of truly winning and Loki was no fool. Thanos would of learned from their last inception. He would know to expect the unexpected. He would know well that it was not just a challenge of strength but also of mind.
Loki's lips twitched into a gleeful smirk at the thought and he stepped forward, making his way to the curving staircase that lead up to the platform where the Titan would waiting upon his hovering throne. It was quiet. The only sound came from the soles of his boots as he stepped onto the metal grid of the steps. Yet he was not fooled. He was watched. He could feel their gaze, Thanos's minions, his army upon him. Even if he couldn't see them through the luminescent lighting that lit his path with each step he climbed. He knew well, his only true friend here was Thanos's own pride. Thano's need to best him. It was the only reason he was allowed this far alive!
As he rounded the corner and stepped up onto the rock platform, Loki looked up at the back of Thanos's throne catching the sudden movement from the rocks above him and spread his fingers clenching them firmly around the short hilted double edged daggers of ice that formed within his hands. Intrepidly he waited,counting the seconds as they landed upon the platform, one coming to stand between him and Thanos's throne while the other two moved closer, flanking him from behind.
Retribution...perhaps. Thanos's way of reminding him, of all that he still owed... assured! The sound of their footsteps behind him, Loki's smirk grew and he calmly twisted the daggers helms between his fingers ready. And as he felt their breath when they reached out intending to size upon his arms from behind, he obliged. Swiftly thrusting back his arms in unison till he felt the hardness of their bodies against his fists. Their faltered breath as his dagger's pierced through their armor and into the soft flesh of their stomachs, his que.
Pushing down upon the blades, Loki sprang placing his bodies weight upon his daggers as he simultaneously drew his legs up towards his chest forcing his shoulders backwards into a back flip that forced his embedded blades to travel upwards across their torso's, gutting the two henchmen where they stood.
Releasing his hold upon the daggers of ice, Loki landed upon an bent knee as their lifeless bodies crumbled to the ground either side of him and slowly rose. Purposely looking up from beneath a furrowed brow of glee towards the third, Loki reached out with his left hand, spreading his fingers wide and stepped forward. Propelling an energy blast that lifted the henchman off his feet propelling him back with force into the back of Thanos's hovering throne.
Satisfied, Loki relaxed his hand, drawing back his arm to calmly interlock his fingers behind his back and stepped forward as the last henchman dropped to the ground unconscious beneath Thanos's throne.
"And to think...I come with glad tidings!" He mused, feigning perplexed offense as he watched the great Titans throne slowly turn and Thanos face him.
"I come in peace. I come bearing a gift!....... A staff of moderate power! ..." Extending his hands out before him to emphasize his point, Loki continued unperturbed "Why.... I even left my Chitauri Scepter in the care of another! And yet you do not trust me!...."
There is something about emotional pain. Push to hard. Cage too long...and you get the monster you desired. The monster you created.
The hallways were dimly lit. The lights flickered overhead casting the passages into a constant flashing strobe of interrupted vision as the small auxiliary generator core struggled to maintain the bases power supply. It had been his first point of call. His primary action upon entering the base. It had been easy, too easy. Odin had once referred to Midgardians as being the equivalent of goats. At the time it had amused him. But now...from what he had seen, learned through the few years of being in their company, most were more referable to likened to sheep!
Goats well they had their own mindset, they were curious almost inquisitive even when within a herd. Sheep, they had no real purpose of mind except to follow the direction another had laid out for them. To like what was dictated they should like, to obey or trust without reason or probable cause that what they were told, what they fought for were in fact for the greater good! The truth. Freedom! The truth was, there was no freedom! They were merely pawns for another. Pawns that could and would be thrown away discarded or disowned without a second thought once their use had run its term.
It had felt like years since he first came to Midgard with the intention of being a benevolent leader. Exposing them to the truth about their society with the ambition to govern them all upon the same equal footing and stature as their neighbors. But their pride, their foolish ignorance had stood in their way. Perhaps it always would! In truth, he didn't care. He wasn't sure he ever had. It was a lie that he'd told himself in a bid to prove he was worthy of stepping out from beneath his brothers over glorified shadow.
It didn't matter anymore. Nothing did. He'd seen through the ruse. The fabrications upon the truth that had been cast about him. He'd watched them through the bars of the cage they had tried to lay around him, and he had learned, that he had always known the truth. That the insecurities with which he was labeled were really their own, not his.
Calmly Loki stepped over the scattered bodies that lined the passage. They had tried to stop him. It was almost pathetic. As if they could, as if they ever would! Every choice, every moment, even when they deemed themselves to be in control, it had been because he had allowed it. Because it had suited his glorious burden of purpose, his mind set at the time.
Up ahead he heard the shuffling of footsteps. The sounds of bodies as they dropped with no control to the floor. Curious a frown etched across his brow and he tilted his head to listen further. So they thought to trap him...to fool him. It served him no purpose. But what they carried with them...well that was another matter! Slowly, almost meticulous in his glee, Loki's lips twitched curving up into a devious smirk as his brow lowered in chaotic delight and he whispered to the scattered dead behind him.
" Ohh....let the fun begin!"
Calmly he lifted his hands, gazing for a moment in thoughtful ponder upon the lines of his palms, the crease of his finger and the rounded curves of their tips. It was true he had many weapons upon him that he could of chosen at any given moment to use. But none seemed as delightfully satisfying as the intricately detailed pain he could relish rendering with just his hands. Extending his arms to point with his index fingers towards the passage walls on either side of his body, Loki's lips twitched forming a pout. As the first note of his whistled melody echoed down the hall, he lifted his head to watch the spirals of gleaming rock hard ice form in crystallizing weaves and vines, rapidly coating the passageway before him and stepped purposely forward.
He recognized them as soon as he came to stand before them. His children, the one they called Tyr and Harrison. They way they stared, slumped unable to move upon the ground. Relaxant darts still protruding from different parts of their bodies. They were willing him to help them. He could see it in their eyes. How very vulnerable they felt at that moment.
Raising his left hand he brought his index finger to his lips in a mock gesture for their compliance disregarding their own inability to speak before announcing simply in explanation. "Do you remember what I told you once Modi.... of my logic and reasoning?" Pausing he waited as if half expecting the boy to answer, before continuing. "Be a good boy.....explain to your sister!" Then, void of any emotion Loki smiled dutifully and stepped carefully over their fallen forms, continuing upon his way, he resumed his whistling; while the walls of the passageway once again began to coat in ice announcing his impending arrival!
Up ahead he could see them. The shadows cast from their bodies as they moved into an open doorway ahead. Little did they know, little did he care that they'd just as good, as sealed their own fate!
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Within the room, the soft harmonic notes of a haunting melody drifted in through the open door. It was hard to fathom from which direction it came, for it come from all directions at once. Like a dozen maybe more voices whistling in the same note to the same tune. Their footsteps slowly growing louder as they made their way towards the door while the ice vines crystallized curling meticulously around and over its open frame.
Perhaps it was fear.... For fear has a way of sneaking up on one, even when they believe they are prepared for the worst possible outcome!
But as the figure of Loki came into view, the Hydra Agents let fire. The blue energy pulses of the tesseract powered battery stores, from their assault rifles ripped across the room. Shattering the calm serenity in a medley of high powered blasts. While debris of ice, brick and mortar exploded out, ricocheting back down upon them and the figure of Loki exploded like smoke before there eyes. Yet before the smoke wisps had vanished, another stepped forward to calmly take the place of the first.
One by one they lay waste to the illusions until the air within the room was clogged with wet icy cold mortar and brick dust making it hard to breath, let alone see what stood before them.
"Oh dear!.........." Loki's voice calmly echoed upon their ears. "I don't think you'll be able to fix this!" Feigning sympathy, he came to stand once again before the ravaged and shattered doorway openly mocking them as he cast a subtle gaze across the rack and ruin they had created.
Immediately the Hydra Agents lifted their riffles, ignoring Grant Ward's shouted command to stand down as the blue bursts of power erupted from their barrel's. Simultaneously, Loki lifted his right hand blasting forth a whiplash of stone hard ice; that streaked across the room intercepting their fire as he stepped forward pushing down upon the ball of his right foot to propel himself up and forward, across the room.
As his body connected with theirs, Loki's hands reached up, wrapping his hands around their necks to thrust them backwards against the wall. The subtle pale skin upon his fingers instantly changed to a deepening blue as the Hydra Agents bodies started to convulse, their skin upon their faces, necks, turning black with frostbite beneath his grasp as they choked upon their own frozen saliva and breath.
As he released his hold upon their throats, instantly Loki dropped down onto his right knee and twisted his body antic clockwise. Stretching out his left leg in a wide arch that connected hard, with Wards shins. he forced the Agent backwards to the ground and reached for one of the fallen Agents riffles before bringing his left leg back in towards his own body and rising to stand.
The weapon was light within his hands. Mockingly Loki turned it over as if curiously examining it, before purposely positioning its barrel towards Wards left thigh and squeezing the trigger. As the blue power bolt ripped through the agents leg Loki's amused smile grew. He saw the woman jump from the corner of his eye. He'd sensed the magic that cloaked her long before he had laid eyes upon her and had purposely ignored her.
Instead, he stepped forward, letting the riffles front sight travel up Ward's writhing body and without any hint of emotion shot him in his lower left shoulder before reaching out with his left leg to pin the Agents right shoulder down onto the ground beneath his boot. Then, leaning forward, Loki beamed gleefully down to cast his eyes vindictively from Wards agonized face to the barrel of the riffle; before fluently twisting it's stock within his hand and forcing the barrel, like a blade down. Impaling it deep within the flesh and bone on right side of Grant Wards chest.
As the Agents screams silenced, succumbing to unconscious from the pain, Loki turned his sights to the woman. She looked nervous and rightly so! Her biggest betrayal wasn't to him. It was far worse!
"If your going to shoot me.....For the sake of Odin ...do it now!" He mocked her coldly, and bent to retrieve the Beserker's staff from the case in which it had been enclosed, before turning to watch for the fire he knew would flare within her eyes. Then stepping forward he gazed mockingly down upon her and leaned forward. Letting his tongue trail down across her face. Instantly dispelling the illusion, the image of magic that she'd placed about herself.
Grasping her hands within his, he turned his body side on and forced her backwards against the far wall, raising her hands above her head as his lips found hers, biting and forcing upon her, his kiss. Before whispering. "You can explain to our children why you betrayed them!"
Instantly shackles of ice formed around her hands, pinning her as a prisoner to the wall and he turned unperturbed to listen tilting his head towards the ravaged door.
Movement! He could hear it. The effects of the tranquilizer darts were wearing off of his children. Smiling he turned to look upon Dylann and stepped back, lingering for a moment before her to growl in contempt. "You can explain to them that it was never really about the Beserker's staff. That it was just a means for you to help Hydra to try to trap me....And for me..... Well...It is just another means... A bargaining tool for something far greater!..... A power greater then they could ever conceive or imagine!"
Deviously he turned, shrinking the Beserker's Staff down in size so it would fit within the inner pocket of his long coat, beside his Chitauri Scepter. And made his way across the room, creating a portal that would linger, after he had passed through it. It would allow any of them to follow him, if they choose before slowly ebbing away-
