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ericadawn16Title: Friends to the End: The One with the Proposal, Part One
Author: Ericadawn16
Prompt: The wonderful mash-up of Friends and Avengers
Character/Pairing(s): Loki/Amora (Past), Pepper/Tony, Tasha/Loki, Tony/Steve (Past), James/Rae, Jessica/Luke, Victoria/Isabelle, Clint/Bobbi, Jessica/Vange, Clint/Jessica (Past)
Phil Coulson, Loki, May Parker, Jane Foster, Thor, Skye, Nick Fury, Ava Ayala, Peter Parker, Tony Stark, Clint Barton, Darcy Lewis, JARVIS, Jasper Sitwell, Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons, Melinda May, Grant Ward, James Rhodes, Jennifer Walters, Jessica Jones, Victoria Hand, Isabelle Hartley, Bruce Banner, Felix Blake, Lance Hunter, Bobbi Morse, Al MacKenzie, Pepper Potts, Jessica Drew-Whedon, Amora, Wanda Frank, Kate Bishop, Agatha Harkness
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Slash, mild language, ANIMAL DEATH, reference to sexual abuse and animal cruelty
Spoilers: a few references here and there, nothing big
Summary: There are coordinated Frost giant attacks across the Earth but is someone behind them?
Beta: HUGE Thanks toi_llbedammned and lavendergaia and Valoscope
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The One with the Proposal, Part One
May 12, 2018
Phil Coulson watched as the apartment door opened and Loki entered. As soon as the door was closed, Loki became more animated. Phil realized he'd begun to look forward to the transformation. Loki would release the puppy from its leash and kiss his face. The puppy would bark and lick him in return.
"Pip, you are such a good puppy!" Loki intoned in a baby voice. Phil was a little embarrassed at first by the choice of name, but now he was a little pleased by it.
The puppy was still as awkward and gangly as the day Phil gave it to him two months before. He wasn't much bigger, about the size of a terrier with floppy ears and fluffy white fur that got on everything.
Phil watched a little too long and the puppy noticed him as well, running over to him and jumping from table to chair until he could climb up Phil's chest and lick his face as well.
His pretending to be disgusted never lasted very long and he tried to turn a blind eye to the next part of the ritual. If he didn't, Loki tried to see if he could get Phil to be upset or annoyed. Loki took out the green bag of dog poop from their walk and strode over to the balcony where he leaned over the railing and dropped it.
"Fury' s monstrosity again," he announced with a smile.
Phil's cell-phone beeped and he answered it.
"Phil, I need you to see something. Come to my office as soon as you can," said May Parker's voice, more worried than usual.
"I'll be there," he promised and hung up.
******************************************************************
"What is it, May?" Phil asked, seated across from the Director of SWORD's desk.
"We've been studying some anomalies in the atmosphere. At first, we assumed they were Thor, but they didn't match up with his activities. I had Reed look into them for us, but he couldn't pinpoint specifics either," she explained and took out a folder. "The problem is that in the last hour, dozens of these anomalies have shown up in seven different cities."
"Then, it's a big problem," Phil stated and took the folder from her. The findings didn't quite seem Asgardian but there was something familiar about them. He'd need Foster or Simmons.
"Quite big and I don't want the usual SHIELD shut-out with this. I already have Brand heading to Siberia," May continued.
Phil looked over some of the city names.
"Looks like social media might do the work for us, but I'll let you know," he told her.
****************************************************************************
Jemma Simmons loved a good science mystery. However, it was a little more fun when the world might not possibly be in danger. Still, getting to work with Dr. Foster was an excellent perk.
"This can't be Asgardian!" Dr. Fos...Jane as she insisted that Jemma call her...shouted in an excited tone.
"Then, what is it?" asked Phil.
"We're working on it, but I know it's not Asgardian. The closest readings would be Loki's measurements but this is off, way off. It indicates a much larger body mass-"
"Frost giants!" Thor hissed.
An invasion of Frost giants?
Jemma looked to Phil for guidance about their next move. Then, Skye came running in.
"Okay, if we captured Lorelei in January, who's this one?"
She held up a tablet with a phone photo of a woman in Asgardian armor.
"Her sister," Thor hissed.
**************************************************************
Darcy felt overwhelmed. This felt way worse than the time Magneto tried to kill Clint in Las Vegas. For one thing, this involved cities all over the world. She sat next to Phil at a table surrounded by screens of those already heading off in Quint jets. A few others were also at the table like Thor, Tony, Tasha and Clint.
"I know most of you prefer to be briefed on missions before sending you off but there wasn't time. We have an Asgardian Enchantress who might or might not be connected to an influx of Frost Giants and all of them have to be stopped before we have civilian casualties," Phil explained.
"Our main person of interest just showed up in New York, but we can't rule out any more visitors so I'll be staying in DC, Coulson in New York and within a short time, we'll have agents able to assist every continent if need be. Shut her down," Fury commanded.
"Why Ulak Island?" Ava Ayala asked.
"We don't know why these particular cities have been targeted. Some are high profile like New York, Tokyo, Las Vegas but some...Nuuk isn't known for its rich gold deposits or warm beaches," Phil spoke.
It did have a Viking past, thought Darcy. Maybe some of the cities weren't so random. She read over them again. Why did Kyzyk sound so familiar?
"Where's the other Hawkeye?" Peter asked. Darcy caught Jessica Jones glaring at him before anyone else could.
"She's not involved with this mission. Now does anyone have any pertinent questions?" Phil asked.
"Yes, I do," Tony spoke up. "You can do this without me for one night, right?"
"And what are we keeping you from that's bigger than the fate of the planet?" Nick asked.
"Well, when you put it that way..." Tony spoke, looking down at the table.
"You're finally asking her," Clint stated with a small smile. Then, he went back to twirling a pen like a drumstick. Technically, he wasn't allowed to be in combat situations but this was too serious not to bring him in. Then, it dawned on her what he had said.
"Aww," Darcy exclaimed. "It's kind of sweet, right?"
"Fine, you're excused but any planetary destruction is on your head," Nick agreed. Tony nodded.
"Dismissed," Phil spoke and the screens disappeared. "Thor, any particular reason she's in New York?"
"My brother," Thor answered.
"Of course," half the room answered. Darcy always tried to look for any indication of intimacy from Tasha. She knew she and Loki had at least been fuck buddies but the spy was always too cool to give herself away.
"I think we should move him," Phil spoke.
"Okay, this is kind of crazy but I think I know what you're going to suggest and I'm going to preemptively say NO," Tony declared and crossed his arms.
"Technically, he's still a war criminal so he might not be secure in regular safe houses or military bases. Your tower already has plenty of hardware and security measures," Phil pointed out.
"He could stay on my floor," Thor offered.
"Yes, let's have all the war criminals stay in my home," Tony spat.
"He did sort of stay there for three months already this year," Darcy pointed out.
"Do comas really count?" Tony asked. The rest of the table glared at him. "Fine, but he better not mess this up for me."
***********************************************************
Tony knew he had sounded like a dick, but this was a big deal for him. There used to be long-shot odds in Vegas about how unlikely his ever getting married would be. After George Clooney married, he and Leo were the last long-time bachelors left. Then, there was the period of time that Pepper needed to process finding out her birth mom was Mystique and she'd been a mutant herself all along. Plus, that curse that Loki or someone had put on him for about a year where he was sexually attracted to Steve Rogers.
This was a day that should have been unthinkable and he wanted it to be special. He took the box out of his pocket, "Pepper, will you marry me?"
He groaned.
"Pepper, I can't imagine life without you. Will you be with me forever?"
He groaned again. Nothing was right.
"Sir, Miss Potts will appreciate the gesture however it's done," JARVIS spoke.
"Not helpful," he muttered.
***********************************************************
"This is much better," Loki told Pip. Thor had wanted him to stay on his floor but it made much more sense for them to stay on the unused floor reserved for Phil.
The dog ran around the entire span. His nails clicked over the uncarpeted spots.
Now which threat is there against me that they felt such measures were necessary? Loki thought. He was annoyed at not being told specifics. While he had no doubts about being able to defend himself, it was easier once knowing what kind of attacks to expect. As he continued to think, he looked for a bowl to put water in for Pip.
*************************************************************
Jasper Sitwell repositioned his glasses and frowned.
"You had her sister in custody and let her go?"
"It's not like that," Skye spat. "It's not like we just gave her a stern talking and let her go. Sif took custody of her and promised that she would be locked up. Maybe this is even retaliation against that."
"For the time being, it doesn't even matter. We just need to take out her frost giants," Jasper spoke.
"Too bad Pyro's not on our side, he almost killed Loki with his fireballs," Leo Fitz commented.
"And caused massive property damage to that hotel, we're going to try your Icer along with some weapons they developed for the Hulk," Jasper explained. Jemma was wearing her thoughtful expression. Jasper wasn't in the mood.
"Is Thor taking care of everything afterwards or do we have to do all the clean-up again?" she asked. It wasn't as bad as he feared.
"I assume we will. Don't we always?" Jasper asked, half to himself. "We always have to clean up all the messes and make sure we didn't step on anyone's toes even if it's completely ridiculous in the long run."
"What are you talking about?" Skye asked. She seemed so naive right then. Maybe he should take some time off.
"I'm tired of the bad guys always getting away with it. Why are Mystique and Magneto and all the rest still out there?"
"Sitwell," Melinda May hissed over the intercom. It woke him up a little.
"Sorry," he apologized. "Stuff like this always makes me think of Maria...and how she's not there."
And how she was ripped from them by Mystique, Jasper thought. Fitz and Simmons gave him sympathetic smiles while Skye went to squeeze his arm. Only Grant Ward was looking at him without any pity.
"We have some time. Want to shoot some targets with me?" he asked. Blowing off some steam sounded like a good idea to Jasper.
******************************************************************
James Rhodes sent off an encouraging text to Tony and turned back to Jennifer Walters. She had to be the least serious lawyer he'd ever met and smiled a lot more than the NCIS.
"How come you and Bruce are so different? You're so positive and optimistic and Bruce-"
"Always seems like he's five minutes away from putting his head in an oven. I know. It's not all his fault, I love my cousin but it's easier to live out here where we don't cross paths that often," she explained and shook her head. "Bruce worries about me and he blames himself for me being this way-"
"Well, it is sort of his doing, isn't it?"
"Blood transfusion, yes, but otherwise, I'd be dead. This is totally preferable to that, but it's also very different to the way he has it. I'm not 'angry all the time'. I decide which form I take and I have full control over both of them. She-Hulk isn't separate from me," Jennifer continued. "Do you know how many cases I turn down because they want the lawyer from the Avengers? It's crazy, but I love being in a position to take only the cases that I want, not just what people give me."
James nodded. He sort of envied her not feeling indebted to anyone or forced to work.
"How's Nate?" she asked.
"Growing so fast," he said and shook his head. "He just turned one and he's running everywhere. I don't know how she does it."
He knew he was luckier than most guys. His high rank and Avenger status did give him a little more time with the family. However, he still missed stuff, like his first word.
"Why don't you retire? You've put in at least twenty years, right?"
He'd thought about it, but...
"I can't see myself doing that. It'd be like giving up. I vowed to protect this country-"
"Which you do as an Avenger," Jennifer argued.
He looked around but the other crew wasn't in earshot. These were all good Air Force men and women.
"It's different. Both have comradeship but the Avengers are new whereas the Air Force has almost a hundred years of history. I walk in the footsteps of the Tuskegee Airmen and those who fought and died so I could have this position."
Her brown eyes studied him and she asked, "And?"
Even though he had established no one was within earshot, he lowered his voice, "Not everyone is a fan of the Avengers. There are a lot of members within the military who'd want nothing better than to have it outlawed and everyone in it tried for treason. General Ross and Major Talbot are the most vocal but a lot of people are scared for their jobs."
"Why?"
"They think there will come a time when they aren't needed anymore, redundant. Why send in a soldier when you can send in a super soldier?"
"And you're defending us from that," Jennifer said with a nod.
"Trying to, for the time being," James agreed.
His comm. cackled.
"Hawaii landing in 15," it said. He nodded at Jennifer to buckle in.
****************************************************************
Jessica Jones looked over at Ava and couldn't help noticing how miserable she looked.
"Are you scared about the Frost Giants?"
Ava shook her head.
"It's not that. It's...everything's different. It was easy when we were all teenagers and only had each other. Now I'm always away studying. You and Luke have a kid. Sam does his outer space thing. Danny's off in China so much and Peter's...well, he's basically the same but you put us all together again and we're not the same. We're different and it's never going to be like it was before," Ava explained.
"No, it's not," Jessica agreed. Even though she was a recent addition to the group, she could feel it and she knew that Luke felt the same way Ava did.
"Growing up sucks," Ava declared.
"Except for Danielle, yeah, yeah, it fucking does," Jessica agreed again.
*************************************************************
"On a scale of 1-10, how much is Lance annoying you today?" Victoria Hand asked into the phone.
"Eleven!" Isabelle Hartley declared and laughed. Victoria loved to hear her wife laugh.
"Bobbi has a mission in Nuuk if you want to join her," Victoria suggested.
"I thought you'd never ask. Idaho keeps watching the Frost Giants on Youtube and Mack's been itching for a mission."
"And we should have some time together after that," Victoria spoke.
"We better," Izzy spat. It did feel like it had been a long time.
"Okay, I promise," Victoria said. "Love you."
"Love you, too," Izzy said and Victoria hung up. With a smile, she played with her wedding ring. Then, she went to look for Rogers.
*************************************************************************
"So, who's Abigail Brand?" Bruce Banner asked on their way to Russia.
"She's one of SWORDS top agents. She's also half-alien and a mutant. I guess Parker will take just about anyone," Felix Blake explained with undisguised disdain.
"What is your problem with SWORD?"
"Aside from their very existence coming from SHIELD agents who defected and started their own organization? They complain about our methods but they use all the information we gained and collected. They're so concerned about the other galaxies that they don't think about the consequences of their actions on Earth. Even the Director isn't really on speaking terms with Parker. He has Agent Coulson do all the communications between them. Now, we're expected to work alongside them on an official mission. I don't like it," Blake told him.
"Noted."
*****************************************************
"So, where's Pierce? The second in command?" Darcy asked. She didn't like the guy but the World Security Council insisted that he have as much clearance as Fury. It was fun to see how Phil and Nick would try to thwart them.
"He insisted on personally overseeing Saint Petersburg. He knows Russian so I suppose that makes sense," Phil told her. "Garrett and his team are with him."
Then, she heard a noise. She turned to see a female Asgardian leading Frost Giants on a destruction of Central Park.
"Don't you dare touch the penguins!" Darcy yelled.
"I know this place. This is where Loki and I departed after that first battle with the Chitauri," Thor spoke. Darcy wasn't there so she took his word for it.
******************************************************************
Bobbi assumed Clint and those back in New York were fine but Frost Giants were a little bit more than she had anticipated. They were huge, sturdy and hard to kill. The best they could hope for at the moment was keeping them away from the civilians.
"Hey, Evil Frosty! Over here!" yelled a familiar voice. She turned to see Lance Hunter throwing his hands in the air. Isabelle and the rest of her group were behind him.
With a smile, Bobbi asked, "Couldn't let us have all the fun, could you?"
"Of course not," Mack agreed before a Frost Giant almost cleaved him with an axe.
*******************************************************************
"Tony, they look like they could really use your help out there," Pepper pointed out as she watched one of the televisions.
"For one night, they can take care of themselves," Tony insisted. She used to complain about never getting time alone and now she seemed to be sending him away.
"If it's the end of the world, we should both be there," she said in a quiet voice. He couldn't help smiling at his stupidity. However, he would still try and convince her that Tasha and the others didn't need them right now.
****************************************************************
"Lewis, where's our target?" Phil asked.
"She was...right...there...shit!" Darcy exclaimed. "Where is she?"
"There's only one place she could be, we have to go to Avenger's Tower immediately," he explained. She was about to ask about who was going to stay behind to fight the Frost Giants when she realized they had disappeared, too. Tasha still held a large sword in battle position.
****************************************************************
Thor felt Mjolnir connect with the protective clothing and hard flesh of the Frost Giant but at some point during the upswing, his opponent disappeared.
"Did someone just make a wish on a Zoltar? Because they seem gone," Clint commented.
"I don't like it. Why go to all that trouble?" Jess asked.
"Because it was a diversion from the real prize," Thor growled. Jess and Clint looked at each other, questioning. Thor began whirling his Mjolnir for flight, but he'd answer their question, "My brother."
As he lifted off, he saw Clint climb onto Jess' back as she prepared to take off, too. Thor hoped they wouldn't be too late. Amora had nearly destroyed his family once and it sickened him to think she'd do it again so soon after Loki's recovery.
******************************************************************************
Tony had his hand on the ring box. The red velvet felt nice and he summoned up his courage, opening his mouth when there was a harsh scream. It sounded like Loki.
"Sir, there's an intruder in the building. She's on the floor with Loki and...there's been a casualty," JARVIS announced.
There was no way of avoiding this. Then, Pepper ran into the kitchen.
"Tony, we have to get down there. This is serious."
"I know, but this was serious, too," he said, not able to hide his disappointment like a five year old not getting his way.
"What could be more important than this?" Pepper asked. Her blue eyes were glaring at him. He held up the box.
"I wanted to propose," he admitted. Her mouth gaped open.
"Really?"
"Yeah," Tony said and went to open the box. She closed her hand around his.
"Don't, not right now...after," she said with a nod. He nodded back and repeated, "After." Then, he added, "JARVIS, evacuate the building."
***************************************************************************
Loki recognized the sound before he saw her. Her teleportation had a unique sound just as she always claimed his did.
"Amora," he whispered. There was no telling which one he would find. Would she be loving until her plan failed or devious from the start?
"Loki, it's been far too long. I can't say the hair or eyes are an improvement," she said and pretended to dry heave for a few seconds. There were times when he would actually forget about his hair and eyes insisting on blond and blue since his coma. He had dressed for a battle.
Pip growled. Then, he ran towards Amora, barking. When he stopped, he growled again. She laughed at him.
"There have been some strange rumors, very strange indeed. They say you're without your magic. They say you can't use any of it. I found the idea ridiculous but I couldn't see it anymore. I couldn't feel your peculiar signature and well...I've always preferred finding out such things for myself," she said with a smirk.
"All lies, dirty lies by my enemies," Loki declared.
"Oh, good," Amora spoke and picked up Pip. "With your faculties and abilities intact, this will be a simple thing."
She took the puppy and threw him hard into the wall. He made a dent with a sickening thud. Loki's heart stopped for a few seconds before it felt like it plummeted into his stomach.
"No!" he screamed and ran for Pip. It was too late. Pip was gone, only leaving behind a crumpled form. He picked the body up, cradling him in his arms like he always had.
"Oh come now, this is just a trifle. I've seen far grander feats from you. We both know how you have some sort of dominion over the dead if you really wish it so," she taunted. "What about those other animals you returned to the living in my presence?"
Loki howled in rage and grief.
"It's true then. The most powerful sorcerer that Asgard has ever known has lost his powers," she said with a smile. "Heh."
She slinked over to him. Her armor made a melodic sound as it banged together. He used to like it and the memory disgusted him. She caressed his face even as he flinched from her touch.
"This is going to be just as I planned and no one's going to prevent my campaign this time. I'm going to have everything I should have always wanted," she declared. Amora's hazel eyes almost seemed to glow. "All those centuries, I was such a fool...never again."
There was the sound of glass shattering and Loki looked up to see his brother, Barton and Drew-Whedon.
****************************************************************************
Clint jumped off Jess' back onto the hard Avenger's building floor. He barely noticed his pain as he took in the scene around him. Loki held his puppy that was too limp and had too much blood coming from his ears to still be alive. Clint had a special hatred for those who would attack the young and defenseless no matter the species. Amora had such a shit-eating grin, too. It was like she had already declared herself the winner of whatever game they had walked into.
"Amora, you step away from my brother!" Thor commanded with his full might so that it echoed.
"Or what? What could you possibly hope to do to me? I have everything just as I planned it," she explained. "You are aware that he's no blood to you?"
"That doesn't matter; you have caused enough harm to my family."
"Is it really harm if the other person enjoys it?" she asked before chuckling. Clint knew that tone and saw an expression on Loki that he had never seen before. It was plain what she had done to him. He wished he had his bow instead of a gun that could be shot one-handed. There was a noise behind him and he turned to see Tony and Pepper in their suits.
"Being my building, don't let the fun start without me," Tony joked as he walked into the fray.
"I believe she was just leaving," Thor spat.
"Not yet," Amora retorted. "Old times' sake and such."
She ran her hand through Loki's curls.
"Stop it," Loki pleaded. He seemed powerless to stop her. Clint was reminded of Kate at her father's party.
"Stop? Is that what you really want?" she asked before licking her tongue down Loki's face. She stopped at his chin, still cupping his face. Then, she forced apart his arms so that Pip's body dropped to the floor.
"Amora," Thor growled and held up Mjolnir. Even Clint was filled with a weird desire to defend Loki against this strange, awful woman.
"Yes," Loki hissed and shoved her away. Amora laughed and pushed a blonde strand of hair from her face. Something seemed to snap in Loki. He ran at her and kicked her in the stomach. It barely fazed her and she laughed again. Then, she waved her hand, whispered and sent Loki hard into the fireplace.
"All that magic I taught you, all that time...all for naught, so much waste," Amora spoke with a frown.
"Frigga taught me magic," Loki spat as he stood up. "You taught me pain and loss. You don't deserve your gifts."
Amora used her magic to send him into the wall which cracked from the force. The second that Thor seemed to ready an attack, she propelled him, too. He flew into the hallway wall, creating a hole that Phil, Tasha and Darcy used to walk through into the room. Clint was going to make eye contact with Phil and maybe try to sign something but he caught the expression on Tasha's face. She recognized Amora and not just from the SHIELD photos. Had Amora been on Earth before?
"This isn't very sporting of me, is it?" Amora asked, looking at Loki. "More like assaulting an infant."
"What do you know of infants?" Loki spat back at her. "You were never there for them."
"I made mistakes but you are not blameless when you weren't there for them either!"
"Weren't there? Weren't there??" Loki's screech was almost hard to make out. "My sons-"
"Our sons," Amora corrected. Clint saw Tony whispering to Pepper and could guess what he was saying. Loki had sons?
"I was the one who carried Jörmungandr for nine months and Fenrir for nine weeks. I was the one holding them when they were ripped out of my arms and taken from me," Loki spat. "You were never a father. You were nothing but a genetic contributor!"
"And how did you stop them? How did you try?"
"I had just given birth, I was in no shape to fight!" he argued back. "But you were, you could have easily rescued them."
"You're right, I do regret that and every day, I think about going back in time and stopping it. I haven't been the best father and I want to change that," Amora spoke. The calmness of her voice made her words even more unsettling.
Loki appeared even more distressed at this news.
"No, you shouldn't be meddling with time. You lack the training and ability," he complained. Clint noticed Thor was scared. He could think of only a handful of times when that had happened. He grabbed Jess' hand.
"I'm glad we never fought over Ben like this," he whispered.
"Me, too," she agreed.
************************************************************************
Kate Bishop thought the text from Clint seemed strange but it was Clint. He'd sent her strange texts before. Maybe they had changed their mind about needing her for this alien invasion thing.
"Oh good, you're here," said an unfamiliar voice. She turned to see a woman with dark hair and a red dress. "I thought about coming to get you personally but that might have sent the wrong idea."
"And what's the right one?"
"That I'm known as the Scarlet Witch, you're Hawkeye and they will need us both upstairs, care to join me?" she asked. Kate had heard a lot of things about Wanda but she seemed sincere and Avengers Tower was one of the safest spots in the city especially with JARVIS. Kate nodded.
"Good, we need your security clearance since I'm still suspended from the Avengers and it would be rude to just pop in," she explained as they headed for the front doors.
*******************************************************************************
"Are you upset that someone else has learned how to go backwards and forwards in time?" Amora asked Loki with a pleased smile. Light glinted off her green armor. Phil didn't like these implications. It was bad enough to know she was father to Loki's sons when he knew how much grief Loki had from them. He also had a strong suspicion that she had killed Pip who lay on the floor; bloody and twisted. Now, they were both implying that magic users could travel in time. It was a horrible thought.
"You can't possibly know what you're doing," Loki hissed at Amora.
"I think you're just upset that someone else figured it out. You always made it sound like it was just your special gift to travels the pathways of time, not just space," she argued in a cold declarative. Phil didn't like the idea of either of them messing with time.
"There are laws even I cannot break about events that must happen," Loki spat back.
"This CANNOT happen! I won't allow it, but I will give you the courtesy of telling you what I'm stopping," she screamed in his face. "Your precious Ragnarok! It happens just as the mortals foretold and you cause the death of all your sons, including mine!"
"No, no, that's not true," Loki stammered. "No, I would never hurt them. No, I wouldn't. No, there must be-"
Loki had made such progress and Amora had broken him in less than an hour. The Enchantress glanced at the elevator and smirked.
"But I have a plan. All along, I had thought to make myself queen by marriage and make my husband into a puppet for my bidding, but why go through all that trouble when I can simply take over Asgard myself? My sister shall be my counsel and my sons will be the rightful princes they should have always been recognized as," she explained.
"It won't work," Thor spat.
"It already has," she retorted. "And none of you have magic to stop me. You Midguardians still enjoy your sweets, right?"
With that, Amora used the dining table to wrap around Loki so he couldn't move. Then, she did jazz hands and disappeared. This was when everything else seemed to disappear, too. Phil was falling...falling...still falling. Stuff was falling on his face. It was cold and smelled like...mint chocolate chip?
He stuck his tongue out and confirmed that it was ice cream. It cushioned his fall. He looked up at where Avengers Tower should have been. The whole building appeared to have been turned into ice cream of various flavors. It coated surrounding buildings and covered cars. As if paying no heed, Thor jumped up, waved Mjolnir around and cried, "Heimdall!"
Phil wondered how Loki was faring in his wooden cage and others had the same idea. Pepper and Tony were raising it so he wasn't headfirst in the several feet of ice cream. He was coughing as it went up.
Thor shook his head.
"Heimdall isn't responding. She's already taken him out," he informed them. How were they going to reach Asgard?
"Luckily for you, there are still magic users on Earth," said a familiar voice. Phil turned to see Wanda alongside Kate. What was she doing with Kate?
"I know I'm still suspended but I can get you to Asgard," Wanda spoke and undid Loki's prison.
"And I'm coming with you," said another new voice. It was Agatha Harkness. She had never involved herself in world saving unless the Richards' children were directly threatened.
*********************************************************************
Amora had control of Asgard. She had control of everything in Asgard. Clint was trying not to have a panic attack. Instead, he grabbed Jess' arm.
"We need Vange. We need a dragon. We need her NOW!" Clint spat. Jess wasn't freaking out like he was. She didn't understand.
"Clint-"
"If Amora has control of Asgard, she has the Tesseract. If she has the Tesseract, we're all dead. I can't go through that again," he explained. Her expression softened and she rubbed his back. Then, she nodded.
"I'll call her."
*************************************************************************
"Then, it's decided. Romanoff will lead the strike team along with Darcy and I'll remain behind with the other Hawkeye," Phil announced.
"No," Agatha said. It was the only the second time she had spoken during the whole proceeding. "Kate has to come with us for the mission to succeed."
Her tone was not to be argued with. He looked at Ciint who nodded. The unspoken understanding was that Clint wouldn't let Kate out of his sight. Not everyone present knew the younger Hawkeye's real name but at least he trusted all of them.
Phil didn't always believe in praying now but this moment seemed like a good time to try.
***************************************************************************
Author: Ericadawn16
Prompt: The wonderful mash-up of Friends and Avengers
Character/Pairing(s): Loki/Amora (Past), Pepper/Tony, Tasha/Loki, Tony/Steve (Past), James/Rae, Jessica/Luke, Victoria/Isabelle, Clint/Bobbi, Jessica/Vange, Clint/Jessica (Past)
Phil Coulson, Loki, May Parker, Jane Foster, Thor, Skye, Nick Fury, Ava Ayala, Peter Parker, Tony Stark, Clint Barton, Darcy Lewis, JARVIS, Jasper Sitwell, Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons, Melinda May, Grant Ward, James Rhodes, Jennifer Walters, Jessica Jones, Victoria Hand, Isabelle Hartley, Bruce Banner, Felix Blake, Lance Hunter, Bobbi Morse, Al MacKenzie, Pepper Potts, Jessica Drew-Whedon, Amora, Wanda Frank, Kate Bishop, Agatha Harkness
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Slash, mild language, ANIMAL DEATH, reference to sexual abuse and animal cruelty
Spoilers: a few references here and there, nothing big
Summary: There are coordinated Frost giant attacks across the Earth but is someone behind them?
Beta: HUGE Thanks to
i_llbedammned and lavendergaia and Valoscope *******************************************************************
The One with the Proposal, Part One
May 12, 2018
Phil Coulson watched as the apartment door opened and Loki entered. As soon as the door was closed, Loki became more animated. Phil realized he'd begun to look forward to the transformation. Loki would release the puppy from its leash and kiss his face. The puppy would bark and lick him in return.
"Pip, you are such a good puppy!" Loki intoned in a baby voice. Phil was a little embarrassed at first by the choice of name, but now he was a little pleased by it.
The puppy was still as awkward and gangly as the day Phil gave it to him two months before. He wasn't much bigger, about the size of a terrier with floppy ears and fluffy white fur that got on everything.
Phil watched a little too long and the puppy noticed him as well, running over to him and jumping from table to chair until he could climb up Phil's chest and lick his face as well.
His pretending to be disgusted never lasted very long and he tried to turn a blind eye to the next part of the ritual. If he didn't, Loki tried to see if he could get Phil to be upset or annoyed. Loki took out the green bag of dog poop from their walk and strode over to the balcony where he leaned over the railing and dropped it.
"Fury' s monstrosity again," he announced with a smile.
Phil's cell-phone beeped and he answered it.
"Phil, I need you to see something. Come to my office as soon as you can," said May Parker's voice, more worried than usual.
"I'll be there," he promised and hung up.
******************************************************************
"What is it, May?" Phil asked, seated across from the Director of SWORD's desk.
"We've been studying some anomalies in the atmosphere. At first, we assumed they were Thor, but they didn't match up with his activities. I had Reed look into them for us, but he couldn't pinpoint specifics either," she explained and took out a folder. "The problem is that in the last hour, dozens of these anomalies have shown up in seven different cities."
"Then, it's a big problem," Phil stated and took the folder from her. The findings didn't quite seem Asgardian but there was something familiar about them. He'd need Foster or Simmons.
"Quite big and I don't want the usual SHIELD shut-out with this. I already have Brand heading to Siberia," May continued.
Phil looked over some of the city names.
"Looks like social media might do the work for us, but I'll let you know," he told her.
****************************************************************************
Jemma Simmons loved a good science mystery. However, it was a little more fun when the world might not possibly be in danger. Still, getting to work with Dr. Foster was an excellent perk.
"This can't be Asgardian!" Dr. Fos...Jane as she insisted that Jemma call her...shouted in an excited tone.
"Then, what is it?" asked Phil.
"We're working on it, but I know it's not Asgardian. The closest readings would be Loki's measurements but this is off, way off. It indicates a much larger body mass-"
"Frost giants!" Thor hissed.
An invasion of Frost giants?
Jemma looked to Phil for guidance about their next move. Then, Skye came running in.
"Okay, if we captured Lorelei in January, who's this one?"
She held up a tablet with a phone photo of a woman in Asgardian armor.
"Her sister," Thor hissed.
**************************************************************
Darcy felt overwhelmed. This felt way worse than the time Magneto tried to kill Clint in Las Vegas. For one thing, this involved cities all over the world. She sat next to Phil at a table surrounded by screens of those already heading off in Quint jets. A few others were also at the table like Thor, Tony, Tasha and Clint.
"I know most of you prefer to be briefed on missions before sending you off but there wasn't time. We have an Asgardian Enchantress who might or might not be connected to an influx of Frost Giants and all of them have to be stopped before we have civilian casualties," Phil explained.
"Our main person of interest just showed up in New York, but we can't rule out any more visitors so I'll be staying in DC, Coulson in New York and within a short time, we'll have agents able to assist every continent if need be. Shut her down," Fury commanded.
"Why Ulak Island?" Ava Ayala asked.
"We don't know why these particular cities have been targeted. Some are high profile like New York, Tokyo, Las Vegas but some...Nuuk isn't known for its rich gold deposits or warm beaches," Phil spoke.
It did have a Viking past, thought Darcy. Maybe some of the cities weren't so random. She read over them again. Why did Kyzyk sound so familiar?
"Where's the other Hawkeye?" Peter asked. Darcy caught Jessica Jones glaring at him before anyone else could.
"She's not involved with this mission. Now does anyone have any pertinent questions?" Phil asked.
"Yes, I do," Tony spoke up. "You can do this without me for one night, right?"
"And what are we keeping you from that's bigger than the fate of the planet?" Nick asked.
"Well, when you put it that way..." Tony spoke, looking down at the table.
"You're finally asking her," Clint stated with a small smile. Then, he went back to twirling a pen like a drumstick. Technically, he wasn't allowed to be in combat situations but this was too serious not to bring him in. Then, it dawned on her what he had said.
"Aww," Darcy exclaimed. "It's kind of sweet, right?"
"Fine, you're excused but any planetary destruction is on your head," Nick agreed. Tony nodded.
"Dismissed," Phil spoke and the screens disappeared. "Thor, any particular reason she's in New York?"
"My brother," Thor answered.
"Of course," half the room answered. Darcy always tried to look for any indication of intimacy from Tasha. She knew she and Loki had at least been fuck buddies but the spy was always too cool to give herself away.
"I think we should move him," Phil spoke.
"Okay, this is kind of crazy but I think I know what you're going to suggest and I'm going to preemptively say NO," Tony declared and crossed his arms.
"Technically, he's still a war criminal so he might not be secure in regular safe houses or military bases. Your tower already has plenty of hardware and security measures," Phil pointed out.
"He could stay on my floor," Thor offered.
"Yes, let's have all the war criminals stay in my home," Tony spat.
"He did sort of stay there for three months already this year," Darcy pointed out.
"Do comas really count?" Tony asked. The rest of the table glared at him. "Fine, but he better not mess this up for me."
***********************************************************
Tony knew he had sounded like a dick, but this was a big deal for him. There used to be long-shot odds in Vegas about how unlikely his ever getting married would be. After George Clooney married, he and Leo were the last long-time bachelors left. Then, there was the period of time that Pepper needed to process finding out her birth mom was Mystique and she'd been a mutant herself all along. Plus, that curse that Loki or someone had put on him for about a year where he was sexually attracted to Steve Rogers.
This was a day that should have been unthinkable and he wanted it to be special. He took the box out of his pocket, "Pepper, will you marry me?"
He groaned.
"Pepper, I can't imagine life without you. Will you be with me forever?"
He groaned again. Nothing was right.
"Sir, Miss Potts will appreciate the gesture however it's done," JARVIS spoke.
"Not helpful," he muttered.
***********************************************************
"This is much better," Loki told Pip. Thor had wanted him to stay on his floor but it made much more sense for them to stay on the unused floor reserved for Phil.
The dog ran around the entire span. His nails clicked over the uncarpeted spots.
Now which threat is there against me that they felt such measures were necessary? Loki thought. He was annoyed at not being told specifics. While he had no doubts about being able to defend himself, it was easier once knowing what kind of attacks to expect. As he continued to think, he looked for a bowl to put water in for Pip.
*************************************************************
Jasper Sitwell repositioned his glasses and frowned.
"You had her sister in custody and let her go?"
"It's not like that," Skye spat. "It's not like we just gave her a stern talking and let her go. Sif took custody of her and promised that she would be locked up. Maybe this is even retaliation against that."
"For the time being, it doesn't even matter. We just need to take out her frost giants," Jasper spoke.
"Too bad Pyro's not on our side, he almost killed Loki with his fireballs," Leo Fitz commented.
"And caused massive property damage to that hotel, we're going to try your Icer along with some weapons they developed for the Hulk," Jasper explained. Jemma was wearing her thoughtful expression. Jasper wasn't in the mood.
"Is Thor taking care of everything afterwards or do we have to do all the clean-up again?" she asked. It wasn't as bad as he feared.
"I assume we will. Don't we always?" Jasper asked, half to himself. "We always have to clean up all the messes and make sure we didn't step on anyone's toes even if it's completely ridiculous in the long run."
"What are you talking about?" Skye asked. She seemed so naive right then. Maybe he should take some time off.
"I'm tired of the bad guys always getting away with it. Why are Mystique and Magneto and all the rest still out there?"
"Sitwell," Melinda May hissed over the intercom. It woke him up a little.
"Sorry," he apologized. "Stuff like this always makes me think of Maria...and how she's not there."
And how she was ripped from them by Mystique, Jasper thought. Fitz and Simmons gave him sympathetic smiles while Skye went to squeeze his arm. Only Grant Ward was looking at him without any pity.
"We have some time. Want to shoot some targets with me?" he asked. Blowing off some steam sounded like a good idea to Jasper.
******************************************************************
James Rhodes sent off an encouraging text to Tony and turned back to Jennifer Walters. She had to be the least serious lawyer he'd ever met and smiled a lot more than the NCIS.
"How come you and Bruce are so different? You're so positive and optimistic and Bruce-"
"Always seems like he's five minutes away from putting his head in an oven. I know. It's not all his fault, I love my cousin but it's easier to live out here where we don't cross paths that often," she explained and shook her head. "Bruce worries about me and he blames himself for me being this way-"
"Well, it is sort of his doing, isn't it?"
"Blood transfusion, yes, but otherwise, I'd be dead. This is totally preferable to that, but it's also very different to the way he has it. I'm not 'angry all the time'. I decide which form I take and I have full control over both of them. She-Hulk isn't separate from me," Jennifer continued. "Do you know how many cases I turn down because they want the lawyer from the Avengers? It's crazy, but I love being in a position to take only the cases that I want, not just what people give me."
James nodded. He sort of envied her not feeling indebted to anyone or forced to work.
"How's Nate?" she asked.
"Growing so fast," he said and shook his head. "He just turned one and he's running everywhere. I don't know how she does it."
He knew he was luckier than most guys. His high rank and Avenger status did give him a little more time with the family. However, he still missed stuff, like his first word.
"Why don't you retire? You've put in at least twenty years, right?"
He'd thought about it, but...
"I can't see myself doing that. It'd be like giving up. I vowed to protect this country-"
"Which you do as an Avenger," Jennifer argued.
He looked around but the other crew wasn't in earshot. These were all good Air Force men and women.
"It's different. Both have comradeship but the Avengers are new whereas the Air Force has almost a hundred years of history. I walk in the footsteps of the Tuskegee Airmen and those who fought and died so I could have this position."
Her brown eyes studied him and she asked, "And?"
Even though he had established no one was within earshot, he lowered his voice, "Not everyone is a fan of the Avengers. There are a lot of members within the military who'd want nothing better than to have it outlawed and everyone in it tried for treason. General Ross and Major Talbot are the most vocal but a lot of people are scared for their jobs."
"Why?"
"They think there will come a time when they aren't needed anymore, redundant. Why send in a soldier when you can send in a super soldier?"
"And you're defending us from that," Jennifer said with a nod.
"Trying to, for the time being," James agreed.
His comm. cackled.
"Hawaii landing in 15," it said. He nodded at Jennifer to buckle in.
****************************************************************
Jessica Jones looked over at Ava and couldn't help noticing how miserable she looked.
"Are you scared about the Frost Giants?"
Ava shook her head.
"It's not that. It's...everything's different. It was easy when we were all teenagers and only had each other. Now I'm always away studying. You and Luke have a kid. Sam does his outer space thing. Danny's off in China so much and Peter's...well, he's basically the same but you put us all together again and we're not the same. We're different and it's never going to be like it was before," Ava explained.
"No, it's not," Jessica agreed. Even though she was a recent addition to the group, she could feel it and she knew that Luke felt the same way Ava did.
"Growing up sucks," Ava declared.
"Except for Danielle, yeah, yeah, it fucking does," Jessica agreed again.
*************************************************************
"On a scale of 1-10, how much is Lance annoying you today?" Victoria Hand asked into the phone.
"Eleven!" Isabelle Hartley declared and laughed. Victoria loved to hear her wife laugh.
"Bobbi has a mission in Nuuk if you want to join her," Victoria suggested.
"I thought you'd never ask. Idaho keeps watching the Frost Giants on Youtube and Mack's been itching for a mission."
"And we should have some time together after that," Victoria spoke.
"We better," Izzy spat. It did feel like it had been a long time.
"Okay, I promise," Victoria said. "Love you."
"Love you, too," Izzy said and Victoria hung up. With a smile, she played with her wedding ring. Then, she went to look for Rogers.
*************************************************************************
"So, who's Abigail Brand?" Bruce Banner asked on their way to Russia.
"She's one of SWORDS top agents. She's also half-alien and a mutant. I guess Parker will take just about anyone," Felix Blake explained with undisguised disdain.
"What is your problem with SWORD?"
"Aside from their very existence coming from SHIELD agents who defected and started their own organization? They complain about our methods but they use all the information we gained and collected. They're so concerned about the other galaxies that they don't think about the consequences of their actions on Earth. Even the Director isn't really on speaking terms with Parker. He has Agent Coulson do all the communications between them. Now, we're expected to work alongside them on an official mission. I don't like it," Blake told him.
"Noted."
*****************************************************
"So, where's Pierce? The second in command?" Darcy asked. She didn't like the guy but the World Security Council insisted that he have as much clearance as Fury. It was fun to see how Phil and Nick would try to thwart them.
"He insisted on personally overseeing Saint Petersburg. He knows Russian so I suppose that makes sense," Phil told her. "Garrett and his team are with him."
Then, she heard a noise. She turned to see a female Asgardian leading Frost Giants on a destruction of Central Park.
"Don't you dare touch the penguins!" Darcy yelled.
"I know this place. This is where Loki and I departed after that first battle with the Chitauri," Thor spoke. Darcy wasn't there so she took his word for it.
******************************************************************
Bobbi assumed Clint and those back in New York were fine but Frost Giants were a little bit more than she had anticipated. They were huge, sturdy and hard to kill. The best they could hope for at the moment was keeping them away from the civilians.
"Hey, Evil Frosty! Over here!" yelled a familiar voice. She turned to see Lance Hunter throwing his hands in the air. Isabelle and the rest of her group were behind him.
With a smile, Bobbi asked, "Couldn't let us have all the fun, could you?"
"Of course not," Mack agreed before a Frost Giant almost cleaved him with an axe.
*******************************************************************
"Tony, they look like they could really use your help out there," Pepper pointed out as she watched one of the televisions.
"For one night, they can take care of themselves," Tony insisted. She used to complain about never getting time alone and now she seemed to be sending him away.
"If it's the end of the world, we should both be there," she said in a quiet voice. He couldn't help smiling at his stupidity. However, he would still try and convince her that Tasha and the others didn't need them right now.
****************************************************************
"Lewis, where's our target?" Phil asked.
"She was...right...there...shit!" Darcy exclaimed. "Where is she?"
"There's only one place she could be, we have to go to Avenger's Tower immediately," he explained. She was about to ask about who was going to stay behind to fight the Frost Giants when she realized they had disappeared, too. Tasha still held a large sword in battle position.
****************************************************************
Thor felt Mjolnir connect with the protective clothing and hard flesh of the Frost Giant but at some point during the upswing, his opponent disappeared.
"Did someone just make a wish on a Zoltar? Because they seem gone," Clint commented.
"I don't like it. Why go to all that trouble?" Jess asked.
"Because it was a diversion from the real prize," Thor growled. Jess and Clint looked at each other, questioning. Thor began whirling his Mjolnir for flight, but he'd answer their question, "My brother."
As he lifted off, he saw Clint climb onto Jess' back as she prepared to take off, too. Thor hoped they wouldn't be too late. Amora had nearly destroyed his family once and it sickened him to think she'd do it again so soon after Loki's recovery.
******************************************************************************
Tony had his hand on the ring box. The red velvet felt nice and he summoned up his courage, opening his mouth when there was a harsh scream. It sounded like Loki.
"Sir, there's an intruder in the building. She's on the floor with Loki and...there's been a casualty," JARVIS announced.
There was no way of avoiding this. Then, Pepper ran into the kitchen.
"Tony, we have to get down there. This is serious."
"I know, but this was serious, too," he said, not able to hide his disappointment like a five year old not getting his way.
"What could be more important than this?" Pepper asked. Her blue eyes were glaring at him. He held up the box.
"I wanted to propose," he admitted. Her mouth gaped open.
"Really?"
"Yeah," Tony said and went to open the box. She closed her hand around his.
"Don't, not right now...after," she said with a nod. He nodded back and repeated, "After." Then, he added, "JARVIS, evacuate the building."
***************************************************************************
Loki recognized the sound before he saw her. Her teleportation had a unique sound just as she always claimed his did.
"Amora," he whispered. There was no telling which one he would find. Would she be loving until her plan failed or devious from the start?
"Loki, it's been far too long. I can't say the hair or eyes are an improvement," she said and pretended to dry heave for a few seconds. There were times when he would actually forget about his hair and eyes insisting on blond and blue since his coma. He had dressed for a battle.
Pip growled. Then, he ran towards Amora, barking. When he stopped, he growled again. She laughed at him.
"There have been some strange rumors, very strange indeed. They say you're without your magic. They say you can't use any of it. I found the idea ridiculous but I couldn't see it anymore. I couldn't feel your peculiar signature and well...I've always preferred finding out such things for myself," she said with a smirk.
"All lies, dirty lies by my enemies," Loki declared.
"Oh, good," Amora spoke and picked up Pip. "With your faculties and abilities intact, this will be a simple thing."
She took the puppy and threw him hard into the wall. He made a dent with a sickening thud. Loki's heart stopped for a few seconds before it felt like it plummeted into his stomach.
"No!" he screamed and ran for Pip. It was too late. Pip was gone, only leaving behind a crumpled form. He picked the body up, cradling him in his arms like he always had.
"Oh come now, this is just a trifle. I've seen far grander feats from you. We both know how you have some sort of dominion over the dead if you really wish it so," she taunted. "What about those other animals you returned to the living in my presence?"
Loki howled in rage and grief.
"It's true then. The most powerful sorcerer that Asgard has ever known has lost his powers," she said with a smile. "Heh."
She slinked over to him. Her armor made a melodic sound as it banged together. He used to like it and the memory disgusted him. She caressed his face even as he flinched from her touch.
"This is going to be just as I planned and no one's going to prevent my campaign this time. I'm going to have everything I should have always wanted," she declared. Amora's hazel eyes almost seemed to glow. "All those centuries, I was such a fool...never again."
There was the sound of glass shattering and Loki looked up to see his brother, Barton and Drew-Whedon.
****************************************************************************
Clint jumped off Jess' back onto the hard Avenger's building floor. He barely noticed his pain as he took in the scene around him. Loki held his puppy that was too limp and had too much blood coming from his ears to still be alive. Clint had a special hatred for those who would attack the young and defenseless no matter the species. Amora had such a shit-eating grin, too. It was like she had already declared herself the winner of whatever game they had walked into.
"Amora, you step away from my brother!" Thor commanded with his full might so that it echoed.
"Or what? What could you possibly hope to do to me? I have everything just as I planned it," she explained. "You are aware that he's no blood to you?"
"That doesn't matter; you have caused enough harm to my family."
"Is it really harm if the other person enjoys it?" she asked before chuckling. Clint knew that tone and saw an expression on Loki that he had never seen before. It was plain what she had done to him. He wished he had his bow instead of a gun that could be shot one-handed. There was a noise behind him and he turned to see Tony and Pepper in their suits.
"Being my building, don't let the fun start without me," Tony joked as he walked into the fray.
"I believe she was just leaving," Thor spat.
"Not yet," Amora retorted. "Old times' sake and such."
She ran her hand through Loki's curls.
"Stop it," Loki pleaded. He seemed powerless to stop her. Clint was reminded of Kate at her father's party.
"Stop? Is that what you really want?" she asked before licking her tongue down Loki's face. She stopped at his chin, still cupping his face. Then, she forced apart his arms so that Pip's body dropped to the floor.
"Amora," Thor growled and held up Mjolnir. Even Clint was filled with a weird desire to defend Loki against this strange, awful woman.
"Yes," Loki hissed and shoved her away. Amora laughed and pushed a blonde strand of hair from her face. Something seemed to snap in Loki. He ran at her and kicked her in the stomach. It barely fazed her and she laughed again. Then, she waved her hand, whispered and sent Loki hard into the fireplace.
"All that magic I taught you, all that time...all for naught, so much waste," Amora spoke with a frown.
"Frigga taught me magic," Loki spat as he stood up. "You taught me pain and loss. You don't deserve your gifts."
Amora used her magic to send him into the wall which cracked from the force. The second that Thor seemed to ready an attack, she propelled him, too. He flew into the hallway wall, creating a hole that Phil, Tasha and Darcy used to walk through into the room. Clint was going to make eye contact with Phil and maybe try to sign something but he caught the expression on Tasha's face. She recognized Amora and not just from the SHIELD photos. Had Amora been on Earth before?
"This isn't very sporting of me, is it?" Amora asked, looking at Loki. "More like assaulting an infant."
"What do you know of infants?" Loki spat back at her. "You were never there for them."
"I made mistakes but you are not blameless when you weren't there for them either!"
"Weren't there? Weren't there??" Loki's screech was almost hard to make out. "My sons-"
"Our sons," Amora corrected. Clint saw Tony whispering to Pepper and could guess what he was saying. Loki had sons?
"I was the one who carried Jörmungandr for nine months and Fenrir for nine weeks. I was the one holding them when they were ripped out of my arms and taken from me," Loki spat. "You were never a father. You were nothing but a genetic contributor!"
"And how did you stop them? How did you try?"
"I had just given birth, I was in no shape to fight!" he argued back. "But you were, you could have easily rescued them."
"You're right, I do regret that and every day, I think about going back in time and stopping it. I haven't been the best father and I want to change that," Amora spoke. The calmness of her voice made her words even more unsettling.
Loki appeared even more distressed at this news.
"No, you shouldn't be meddling with time. You lack the training and ability," he complained. Clint noticed Thor was scared. He could think of only a handful of times when that had happened. He grabbed Jess' hand.
"I'm glad we never fought over Ben like this," he whispered.
"Me, too," she agreed.
************************************************************************
Kate Bishop thought the text from Clint seemed strange but it was Clint. He'd sent her strange texts before. Maybe they had changed their mind about needing her for this alien invasion thing.
"Oh good, you're here," said an unfamiliar voice. She turned to see a woman with dark hair and a red dress. "I thought about coming to get you personally but that might have sent the wrong idea."
"And what's the right one?"
"That I'm known as the Scarlet Witch, you're Hawkeye and they will need us both upstairs, care to join me?" she asked. Kate had heard a lot of things about Wanda but she seemed sincere and Avengers Tower was one of the safest spots in the city especially with JARVIS. Kate nodded.
"Good, we need your security clearance since I'm still suspended from the Avengers and it would be rude to just pop in," she explained as they headed for the front doors.
*******************************************************************************
"Are you upset that someone else has learned how to go backwards and forwards in time?" Amora asked Loki with a pleased smile. Light glinted off her green armor. Phil didn't like these implications. It was bad enough to know she was father to Loki's sons when he knew how much grief Loki had from them. He also had a strong suspicion that she had killed Pip who lay on the floor; bloody and twisted. Now, they were both implying that magic users could travel in time. It was a horrible thought.
"You can't possibly know what you're doing," Loki hissed at Amora.
"I think you're just upset that someone else figured it out. You always made it sound like it was just your special gift to travels the pathways of time, not just space," she argued in a cold declarative. Phil didn't like the idea of either of them messing with time.
"There are laws even I cannot break about events that must happen," Loki spat back.
"This CANNOT happen! I won't allow it, but I will give you the courtesy of telling you what I'm stopping," she screamed in his face. "Your precious Ragnarok! It happens just as the mortals foretold and you cause the death of all your sons, including mine!"
"No, no, that's not true," Loki stammered. "No, I would never hurt them. No, I wouldn't. No, there must be-"
Loki had made such progress and Amora had broken him in less than an hour. The Enchantress glanced at the elevator and smirked.
"But I have a plan. All along, I had thought to make myself queen by marriage and make my husband into a puppet for my bidding, but why go through all that trouble when I can simply take over Asgard myself? My sister shall be my counsel and my sons will be the rightful princes they should have always been recognized as," she explained.
"It won't work," Thor spat.
"It already has," she retorted. "And none of you have magic to stop me. You Midguardians still enjoy your sweets, right?"
With that, Amora used the dining table to wrap around Loki so he couldn't move. Then, she did jazz hands and disappeared. This was when everything else seemed to disappear, too. Phil was falling...falling...still falling. Stuff was falling on his face. It was cold and smelled like...mint chocolate chip?
He stuck his tongue out and confirmed that it was ice cream. It cushioned his fall. He looked up at where Avengers Tower should have been. The whole building appeared to have been turned into ice cream of various flavors. It coated surrounding buildings and covered cars. As if paying no heed, Thor jumped up, waved Mjolnir around and cried, "Heimdall!"
Phil wondered how Loki was faring in his wooden cage and others had the same idea. Pepper and Tony were raising it so he wasn't headfirst in the several feet of ice cream. He was coughing as it went up.
Thor shook his head.
"Heimdall isn't responding. She's already taken him out," he informed them. How were they going to reach Asgard?
"Luckily for you, there are still magic users on Earth," said a familiar voice. Phil turned to see Wanda alongside Kate. What was she doing with Kate?
"I know I'm still suspended but I can get you to Asgard," Wanda spoke and undid Loki's prison.
"And I'm coming with you," said another new voice. It was Agatha Harkness. She had never involved herself in world saving unless the Richards' children were directly threatened.
*********************************************************************
Amora had control of Asgard. She had control of everything in Asgard. Clint was trying not to have a panic attack. Instead, he grabbed Jess' arm.
"We need Vange. We need a dragon. We need her NOW!" Clint spat. Jess wasn't freaking out like he was. She didn't understand.
"Clint-"
"If Amora has control of Asgard, she has the Tesseract. If she has the Tesseract, we're all dead. I can't go through that again," he explained. Her expression softened and she rubbed his back. Then, she nodded.
"I'll call her."
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"Then, it's decided. Romanoff will lead the strike team along with Darcy and I'll remain behind with the other Hawkeye," Phil announced.
"No," Agatha said. It was the only the second time she had spoken during the whole proceeding. "Kate has to come with us for the mission to succeed."
Her tone was not to be argued with. He looked at Ciint who nodded. The unspoken understanding was that Clint wouldn't let Kate out of his sight. Not everyone present knew the younger Hawkeye's real name but at least he trusted all of them.
Phil didn't always believe in praying now but this moment seemed like a good time to try.
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