Adult-FanFiction.org : Marvel 'Verse

The Avengers: Tainted Love	By : ParadoxdelaPaladino Category: Marvel Verse Movies > Avengers, The Views: 6390 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own the Fandom of Avengers or anything Marvel. I do not own the characters. I make no profit, money, etc. from it. I own nothing. :)

Chapter List
- 19
- 20
Author’s Note:
Happy New Year!!!
Thank you to EVERYONE has kept up with this fanfic! Your wonderful comments were my inspiration for finishing this saga! I hope you will find this chapter to your satisfaction. :-)
Thanks to my Betas: Paradise and AG!

~*~
An explosion knocked her sideways but to its credit, the hover craft remained steady. With clammy fingers, Natasha began a desperate battle with the controls while simultaneously keeping her eyes forward. Twisting one of the knobs, Natasha grasped the edges of the control panel as the hover craft spun on it axis before stopping in mid air.
She took a deep breath to calm the inevitable onslaught of the bile rising in her throat. An echo of screams erupted from the ground below but she fought the urge to look down and justify her fear of heights.
Closing her eyes momentarily, Natasha regained focus before staring at the controls. Tentatively, she turned the handles like a motorcycle and after a brief jolt the machine took off.
Staring straight ahead, she concentrated on avoiding any aliens in her path by shifting the handles side-to-side. The jarring motion of the speeding hovercraft only added to her feeling of vertigo.
After passing endless buildings, she finally spotted the green arbors of Central Park and felt a fraction of relief before it dissipated into dread. The sound of war was all around her but all she could hear was the rapid beating of her own heartbeat.
Pushing the handles slightly downward while turning a knob, Natasha breathed a sigh of relief as the contraption began its slow descent. Once she was close enough to the ground, she jumped and managed to roll onto the soft grass without sustaining any injuries.
Instead of yelling for her teammate, she scanned the park for clues. A few arrows were embedded into the grass near a monument and she traced their point of origin with her eyes. She could see a faint plume of smoke rising from a tree and made a dash through the bushes.
Slumped over with blood running down his tattered clothes, Clint lay against the bark of the tree. Natasha crouched near the almost lifeless body, holding his broken wrist. Beneath the thin lattice of veins, she felt a pulse. She took a breath before moving the burned clothing aside to search for any fatal injuries.
“Mmm . . . Natasha?”
The soft mumbling of her name brought a smile to her face. She placed her hands on either side of Clint’s face, mindful of the purple bruises. He nuzzled into her warm touch before meeting her eyes with a smile.
“I thought I lost you.”
“You do care,” Clint managed to whisper before a coughing fit shook his body.
“Don’t be stupid.”
Her words were meant to bite but her tears betrayed her.
~*~
“What is your command, Master?”
Staring into the beautiful cerulean eyes, Loki was both mesmerized with their beauty and disgusted by his actions. His fingers tightened their hold on the treacherous staff as he searched the vacant eyes of his lover for any signs of recognition.
His trembling hand reached towards the soft cheek of the man in front of him. Brushing his thumb over the meticulously sculpted facial hair, Loki’s fingers moved to trace a delicate scar near Tony’s left temple.
He remembered falling through the endless black depths of space, watching his brother’s face and hearing his tormented screams fade into a dream. Entire constellations zoomed by as he frantically struggled to grasp something –anything – to stop the madness. In his panicked state, he failed to conjure any magic.
Just as he was about to give up, he felt something tear him from orbit. Mercilessly, Earth’s gravity pulled him downward and he watched the speckled land mass grow closer and closer. In a flare of panic, he managed to summon enough magic to cushion his landing on a white Audi.
Auburn eyes – stunned and afraid – locked onto his as the car was thrown upwards from the unexpected crash. Reacting on instinct, Loki sent a minor protective spell which caused the car to veer away from the cliff and land in a ditch instead.
Smiling at the memory, he continued tracing the faint scar on Tony’s face. Even now, he was unable to pinpoint the reason why he had saved the mortal’s life. When he visited Tony in the hospital he had lied to himself; saying that he wanted to torment the human. In reality, he just wanted to see those captivating chestnut-colored eyes again.
Those once passionate eyes now blankly stared at him with no emotion. The staff trembled in his hand as Loki inwardly battled his conscience. For the first time in his life, Loki felt he earned the title of Liesmith. Over and over he told himself that it was better that he control Tony rather than Doom, but his conscience disagreed.
Taking a tentative step closer, he hesitantly wrapped his arms around Tony. The rigid body made no move as Loki buried his face into the soft hair, inhaling the scent of cologne slightly masked with the smells of battle.
Gently, he cupped a hand around the pale cheek of his companion before bending down to trail his tongue over the inviting pink lips. When Tony didn’t react, Loki used his tongue to force his compliant lover’s lips apart as he claimed the warmth that was offered. Tony reciprocated but his kiss was mechanical.
Desperate for a reaction, Loki continued to plunder Tony’s mouth with increasing intensity, hoping that the dormant velvet tongue would react to his own. He let the scepter fall to the ground with a clutter so that he could use one hand to possessively grip Tony’s ass while the other hand dug into the soft brown hair. So intoxicated was he with Tony’s scent and his warm body pressing against his own, that Loki would have taken him then and there if only he had reacted to his affections.
With a sigh of defeat, Loki pulled away with one last bite to Tony’s lower lip. The sapphire-tinted eyes looked at him with a vacant stare.
“Your command?”
Hearing the robotic voice almost broke his heart. He moved his hands to hold Tony’s head, tilting it upwards.
“I know that you’re in there . . . I just want you to know that our time . . . that I . . . Tony, I lo –”
Feeling the pinpricks of tears, Loki pulled away curtly, briefly fidgeting with his tunic with clammy fingers. He bent down to pick up the discarded staff before replacing his breaking demeanor with a false mask of indifference.
“Assemble your suit.”
Tony pressed a red button on his wrist. In a few moments, his suit found him and Tony spread his legs and arms apart as it assembled around him. Loki stared at the suit in surprise, remembering that he had painted it in his colors of green and gold as joke. How ironic.
“Destroy the alien army.”
At his command, Tony activated the boosters and took to the sky. Loki watched him fly away, quickly wiping at his face.
~*~
Dashing to the side of the Hulk’s punch, Thor felt a blunt object hit the back of his head. Stumbling forward, Thor whipped around to look for the culprit. He watched Steve expertly dash between tanks before stopping in front of him.
“What is the meaning of this?” Thor bellowed, indicating the shield embedded into the concrete.
“I’m intervening,” Steve casually remarked as he pulled his weapon from the ground. “In case you’ve forgotten – we’re in the middle of a war!”
“I have not forgotten!” Thor shouted before turning to the Hulk. “But this giant interrupted my conversation with my brother!”
In response the Hulk unleashed a roar with such raw power that his eyes bulged.
“No, you’re the clumsy oaf!”
In retort, the Hulk smashed his fist into a building before turning back to glare at Thor.
“What? Now, I am the brute?!”
Steve’s eyes darted between the two, taking in their strange conversation.
“Hurt Tony. BAD!” Hulk shouted back before lunging toward Thor. In response, Thor smacked the Hulk’s outreached hand with his hammer. The Hulk retracted his hand with a loud bellow of pain. Just as the Hulk drew back his fist, Steve stepped in between his two feuding teammates, holding his arms up to separate them. Unwilling to hit an innocent party, the Hulk stumbled before regaining his footing.
“Stop this! We need to concentrate on Doom,” He turned to Thor. “You can talk to your brother later, right now we need to –”
A mechanical hum of a powerful engine caught their attention, effectively stopping their conversation. The two men and the monster inspected their surroundings for the source of the sound before spotting a metallic green object hurtling across the skyline.
Narrowing his eyes in realization, Thor called his hammer and with it ascended to the sky. Before he had a chance to pursue his target he felt a strong force grip his waist. Recovering from the recoil, Thor looked down to realize he had been snared with his brother’s magic. He tensed his body, bracing himself for impact. Instead he was gently lowered onto a rooftop.
Upon instinct, he readied his hammer, but his rage quickly subsided when his brother made no move to attack him. Cautiously, he sheathed Mjolnir.
“What have you done? Is the Man of Iron now under your control?”
“Yes,” Loki admitted.
Thor had expected boastful laughter or another sadistic taunt. Instead, Loki had whispered the word with sorrow. In disbelief, Thor’s eyes darted around the area, seeking a trap, but when Loki made no movement, he turned back towards the sky.
“Then I shall destroy him.”
“Brother, please!”
At the sound of the imploring shout, Thor turned away from his target. He gripped the handle of Mjolnir, unsure of what to do. Loki had uttered similar words when he dangled over the edge of the Bifrost. His mind began running in circles and he couldn’t decide if Loki was setting another trap or if there was something else on his mind. With a heavy sigh, he looked at his brother.
“What is going on? I’m tired of your games.”
“I’m not playing games, Thor. I know how to stop Doom.”
“How?”
“My plan does not involve you.”
Just as Thor opened his mouth in anger, Loki put up a placating hand.
“That was not an insult – just my personal decision.”
“Then,” Thor turned to see a few aliens being destroyed in the distance. “Then why control him?”
“I had no choice. Either I control him or Doom does.”
Thor nodded slowly, almost to himself, as his mind began to put the pieces together. Gradually, Loki walked towards Thor until he was only a few feet away. His eyes remained fixed on the ground as he unconsciously ran a hand through his hair.
Aching to console his kin, Thor gingerly reached out a hand and lightly placed it on Loki’s shoulder. To his surprise, Loki didn’t recoil from the contact. He tore his eyes from the ground and fixed them on Thor’s.
“What is it, brother?”
“If your affection for me is genuine, can I assume that you look out for my best interests?”
“Of course,” Thor quickly replied; insulted that Loki would think otherwise.
“I know you do not care for Tony, but right now his wellbeing is in my best interests,” Loki paused, studying Thor’s reaction. Although he turned his face away in dejection, Thor did not withdraw his hand. After a few moments, he gave Loki’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
“I understand.”
To his astonishment, Loki smiled. For a moment Thor felt as if things had gone back to the way they once were.
“Then will you keep him safe – for me?”
Thor cocked his head to the side in bewilderment.
“Why ask me? You are more than capable of protecting him.”
Green eyes widened in shock before softening. Loki stepped forward, his arms encircling his brother in a tentative hug.
“Thank you,” Loki whispered into Thor’s shoulder. Surprised at the sudden display of affection, Thor tensed his body before allowing himself to relax into the hug.
“For what?”
Loki pulled away as if embarrassed by his naked display of emotion.
“For finally saying aloud that we are equals.”
The gravity of Loki’s request finally hit Thor and he began to panic.
“Brother –”
“I must undo the chaos I helped create. You would act no differently,” Loki quickly cut off Thor’s words, knowing that his brother understood. Straightening up, Thor nodded at the statement.
“That is why we are brothers – we are alike in action although we take different paths.”
“I know I ask much of you, Thor –”
“Please,” Thor interrupted Loki with a wave of his hand. We are Princes of Asgard and we stand by each other. If this is your decision, then the least I can do is honor your request.”
Ribbons of green encircled Loki until he stood in full regalia. With a final nod to his brother, Loki shimmered from view.
~*~
A disturbance in the energy field caused Doom’s spine to stiffen. He looked around, spotting a metallic green object in the distance.
“Sir! Loki has used the tesseract to –”
“I know.”
There was a brief pause on the other line.
“What is your command?”
“Send the elite forces. I want him destroyed.”
~*~
Green fumes dissipated leaving nothing but dust in their wake. Thor continued to mindlessly twirl Mjolnir, toying with the leather-clad handle out of habit. He continued staring at the swirling dust.
A high pitched whirling interrupted his thoughts. He turned only to inhale the burning fumes, breaking into a coughing fit. With a crack, the cement below him caved in. He found himself waist-deep in wires. The more he struggled, the tighter their grip became. Shielding his eyes from the debris, Thor crouched down to free himself from the cables holding him hostage.
With one final tug, he freed himself from his constraints only to feel a dull object crash into his back, propelling him forward. Falling back onto the roof, Thor turned towards the fallen alien. A quick blow from his hammer and the alien’s head joined the carnage on the roof.
An explosion echoed in the distance. Cerulean eyes snapped towards the sound, seeing a green object fending off a group of aliens. Ironman was outnumbered. Grasping Mjolnir, Thor took one last look at the spot where his brother was before he made his decision.
Bolting across the rooftop, Thor spun Mjolnir viciously. The wind scratched at his eyes like claws as he took a leap off the roof. Once he was in the sky, he knocked down any aliens stupid enough to get into his path.
He was almost within reach when a red blur flew past him, causing him to spin in the air. The intruders wore dingy red armor and looked substantially bigger than their counterparts. The blue eyes of the Ironman lit up as he delivered a blast.
Instead of turning into a mangled mass, the swarm of red soldiers continued their advance, brushing off pieces of their damaged armor. Thor watched Ironman placed both of his palms towards the aliens before shooting a stream of blasts.
As if anticipating the attack, the aliens scattered before regrouping behind him. Four aliens grabbed the suit by the arms and legs. A sudden burst of speed and the aliens began their ascent with the flailing Ironman in tow.
Curling his fingers, Thor summoned a small electric spark before hurling it towards the aliens. He watched some of them fall from their hovercrafts with extreme satisfaction. The remaining red soldiers flew at him in a triangular formation.
Reaching his hand forward, Thor directed a stream of lightening towards Ironman’s captors. Two immediately disintegrated while their remaining comrades hurled the suit towards the Ionosphere.
Hovering in the air, Thor quickly assessed a trajectory path before throwing his hammer seconds before he was surrounded. Mjolnir flew above the suit before glimmering with gold. With a metallic grind, Mjolnir slammed into Ironman’s chest, bringing him down towards the earth.
Thor darted between the aliens, breaking their formation. A few crashed into each other. He grabbed one of the aliens by his head and snapped his neck. One of the aliens lunged towards him, managing to embed a spear into his side. Shouting in pain, Thor pulled out the spear and used it to decapitate his attacker.
He watched them tumble towards the ground in an indiscernible heap. The smile from his face faded when he noticed that Ironman continued falling towards the Hudson, arms and legs flailing wildly; the eyes of the suit were now dim. With an exasperated sigh, Thor summoned a small ball of energy in the palm of his hand before directing it towards the suit. As soon as the lightening ball struck the suit, the eyes lit blue and Tony stabilized himself moments before hitting the river.
The green armor glinted in the distance, now a barely visible speck. Twirling Mjolnir in his fingers, Thor prepared himself for a second round of battle. A thunderous roar caught his attention. Streaks of purple overtook the sky and Thor trailed them back to their source.
Cerulean eyes widened as he saw a giant gaping hole appear in the sky. He wanted to alert the others but couldn’t remember how to use the communicator. Like a plague, droves of alien soldiers flew from the portal.
Deciding that one of his teammates had probably spotted the portal, Thor swung his hammer in Tony’s direction. He flew past building after building, his eyes desperately scanning for any sight of Ironman.
Without warning, a blast sent him hurtling into the concrete below. Coughing, Thor emerged from the wreckage. A metal hum caught his attention and he watched Tony float down towards him.
He sent a blast towards him in greeting. Dodging the subsequent blasts, Thor tried to analyze the situation. Using electric was out of the question – it would only give the suit more power. Brute force guaranteed a win, but he would end up hurting the person he swore to protect.
In the distance he heard a roar followed by a hiss. He tried to think of what animal could make that sound but his mind was blank. From behind the building, he watched giant creature emerge. Its metallic scales glinted in the sunlight as it slithered its way through the sky.
He opened his mouth to warn his companion but was silenced by a blast to his torso. In one fell swoop, the alien dragon descended on Tony, consuming him whole.
~*~
Souvenirs spilled from broken windows, trampled by the panicked crowd. An explosion sent a billboard crashing into the sidewalk. Fires broke out accented by screams.
Loki easily glided through the smoke, cautious to avoid a fight with one of the soldiers. Methodically, green eyes darted from rooftops to the ground below and back again. Through the smoke, he could see the brightly lit billboards signaling Times Square.
Tourists filled the square although none of them were keen to take in the sights. Rolling his eyes at their cries for help, Loki avoided the crowd as he scanned for a vantage point.
He spotted a large vertical billboard towering over the smaller buildings. As he drew near, a cold sweat ran down his spine. Alien soldiers flew by him as if he were invisible. He tightened his grip on the golden staff as his ears picked up the sputtering of a motor.
While in flight, he turned to the sound, barely managing to shield his chest with his arms before the hovercraft slammed into him. His armor took most of the blow as his back collided with the glimmering billboard, shattering it on impact. Fragments of the billboard managed to find their way into his skin through the cracks in his armor.
Coughing, he rose from the rubble, blinking away the dust. His nose twitched with the unpleasant aroma of burned wires.
“Miss me?”
A metallic hand grabbed the front of his tunic, pulling him from the building. In a moment of panic, Loki released the scepter. His stomach lurched before he crashed through a glass wall. Stumbling to his feet, Loki grimaced as he slowly pulled a few of the fragments from his arms and back.
Something tightly wrapped around his ankle. Before he could react, Loki’s face met the concrete, tearing at his flesh as the chains dragged him through the streets. A green tendril of power flowed down his body, breaking the chain’s hold on his ankle.
Before rising, Loki teleported to the other side of the square, giving him a few seconds to regain his bearings. After a quick scan of the area, Loki opened his palm, diverting a blast to Doom’s back. He grinned in satisfaction as he watched his nemesis thrown into a building.
Clenching his fist, Loki looked up at the billboard. The scepter teetered on the edge. Aliens zoomed by on hovercrafts. Loki took one step forward before he was hit with a car. His golden helmet now missed a horn and the blow left the other bent. Black plates around his torso had slid out of place, exposing his thin clothing beneath.
He spun around only to guard himself against a bigger and heavier van. Crushing the car door with his hand, Loki pushed himself out of the broken vehicle, staggering to his feet.
A clap of thunder echoed around him, contrasting with the blue sky. His shoulders tensed as his eyes desperately searched the sky. A lightning bolt flashed above a rooftop before a growling metallic creature emerged. For a moment, Loki observed it in shock. Despite its threatening growl, the creature looked like a ridiculous combination of a blue whale adorned in medieval armor. On its back, Thor continuously struck it with his hammer before attempting to pry open its scales.
Behind him, he heard the jingling of chains. His pulse quickened as he watched Doom divert his weapon towards the dragon. After securing his hold, Doom allowed the momentum of the dragon to lift him into the air. Jumping onto the pile of cars, Loki managed to grab Doom’s leg.
The extra weight caused the dragon to tilt backwards as it began whipping his tail in rage. Loki managed to secure a hold on Doom’s arm and viciously punched him in the face. Between his assaults he attempted to summon magic to break the chains. Every time he readied his energy for a blast, Doom would knee him in the stomach, breaking his concentration.
Desperate, Loki shouted his brother’s name. Lightening cracked above him to a halt. Circling his hands around Doom’s throat, Loki began to choke him. Green eyes darted between the masked villain and the dragon’s back.
He smiled in relief when he saw Thor emerge, hammer in hand.
“Do it!”
Blue eyes narrowed before glowing golden before a bolt of lightning struck Mjolnir. Aiming the hammer towards the chains, Thor released a blast that sent Loki and Doom spiraling towards the ground. A burst of green and they left Times Square behind.
~*~
“I found it!” Natasha tightly clasped the scepter in her hand. Behind her, the Hulk continued lunging for passing aliens, tearing them from their hovercrafts. Fighting without Clint felt unusual, but she felt safer knowing he was being taken to a hospital.
“Good! Dr. Selvig says that you can use it to close the portal!”
“Just tell me how.”
~*~
Using teleportation without knowing the destination was like driving blind. You might end up on the highway or you might end up dangling over the side of the mountain. In Loki’s case, he slammed face first into a metal tram.
Heaving with the collision, the tram swayed violently. Already on the verge of vomiting, Loki gripped the ledge of the tram as he attempted to hoist himself upward. A hand shot down, gripping him around his throat.
The blow with the tram still left Loki feeling hazy. He aimlessly clawed at the hand around his throat. Moments after his vision cleared, Loki felt fingers dig in between his broken armor, crushing a few of his ribs as Doom hoisted him above his head. Feeling had gone from his legs, making him flail helplessly.
The hand around his throat had begun to cut off his oxygen flow. Tendrils of magic flickered around him, but Loki had no energy left to summon a blast. With a growl, Doom brought Loki into collision with his knee, breaking a few ribs in the process.
When the hand left Loki’s throat, he released a hoarse cry before being thrown on the ground. He rolled on his side, coughing up blood. The metallic taste invaded his senses, reawakening his nausea.
With painfully slow steps, Doom moved to kneel at Loki’s side. Grabbing one of the golden horns of Loki’s helmet, Doom repeatedly punched the metal until it began to cave. When his rage subsided, Doom ripped off the helmet and tossed it into the river below.
Doom hovered above him with a victorious smile. Closing his eyes, Loki attempted to summon his magic. The gentle wind caressed his face as he lay on the ground, holding his ribs. He felt a sharp pain in his temple, like the onslaught of a headache. His body tensed. A few seconds later, he felt it again before an image of him kissing Tony on the rooftop appeared.
Green eyes bolted open. He could see the laughter in Doom’s eyes.
“Interesting memory.”
He felt the stitch again, growing stronger. If he stayed in his Aesir form, he knew he would lose the battle. Chaotic strips of blue spread over his face like spider webs, the pale skin disappearing beneath. Placing his palms on the tram, Loki covered the structure in ice. He stumbled to his feet, mindful of his injuries.
Instead of attacking him, Doom stood rooted to the spot, slightly trembling. Red eyes narrowed as they borrowed into Doom’s.
“Father! Father!”
A young boy shook the frozen remains of a man dressed in nothing but the thinnest of fabrics. The harsh wind whipped around him. The small boy wrapped the coat, a few sizes too large, around his small body.
“Get out!”
Bringing his metallic hands to his head, Doom shook his head. Loki felt the mental barriers erect themselves around Doom’s memories. He grinned.
“Not a fan of the snow, are you?”
Doom lunged at him. Loki summoned an icicle. Doom attempted a punch to Loki’s temple, but Loki embedded the icicle into the metallic fist. He watched in glee as the ice spread onto the metallic arm, breaking parts of the armor off.
He blocked another punch with his palm, spreading the ice onto Doom like living vines. Pulling back, Doom clawed at the ice, leaving nothing but the burned remains of his flesh. A sharp pain in his ribs brought Loki to his knees. Irritated at having his arms exposed, Doom prepared a blast. Loki lifted his hands in the air.
“I claim defeat!”
Surprised, Doom faltered before allowing the energy blast to dissipate. Slowly, Loki reached into his tunic and offered the tesseract with trembling hands.
“It is yours.”
Straightening his spine, Doom walked over to Loki and plucked the coveted cube from his hands. He brought it above his head, allowing the sun to shine through. Blue wisps of smoke swirled inside the cube, before moving down Doom’s arms.
“To the victor go the spoils,” Doom grinned as he watched the blue smoke entwine around his arms before moving to his torso. “I just want you to know, that Tony will be the first to die.”
Loki began laughing.
Before Doom could dispatch of his ally once and for all, the blue vines of the cube grew bolder in their consumption of his body. Smoke rose from his arm. The tesseract was burning him.
“What – is this!?” Doom shouted as he attempted to throw the cube away from him. The blue energy continued to claim his body. Loki’s laughter had gone from soft to frenzied.
“Anyone with a basic knowledge of magic knows that the tesseract can only be held by . . . gods.”
Beneath his stoic mask, Doom panicked as he felt the energy sear his flesh. His burned arms began to char and parts began to slip off him. He was rotting like a corpse. Loki continued his maniacal laughing. Bile began to spill from the mask as the energy found its way into Doom’s body. When the blue vines reached his lungs, Doom lost the ability to scream.
His whole body began glowing. The flesh melted away into an angry blue fire until nothing was left of him except a pile of armor.
Loki felt another rib break, cutting his laughter short. The tram heaved before its cable broke. Unable to summon his magic, Loki fell. His back collided with a grassy field and he watched one of his ribs jut through his armor. He had lost the ability to scream, but he whispered one word.
“Tony.”
~*~
With one final blow, Mjolnir pierced the creature’s skin. The tear in its armor caused the creature to thrash around violently, releasing high-pitched wails of pain. Thor pushed himself inside the gash, his aquamarine eyes turning golden. A crack of lightening echoed in the sky before traveling through Thor, using his body as a semiconductor.
The lightening effectively fried the creature from the inside out, breaking it into pieces. Ironman flew from his metallic prison, stumbling onto a rooftop. The remainder of the creature fell to the ground, taking half a building with him. Holding his breath, Thor glided to Tony.
Tony steadied his hand for a blast as Thor twirled his hammer. Instead of firing, Tony clutched his head and began stumbling backwards. His face shield moved up and Thor watched his eyes flicker blue then green before returning to their natural hue. In an instant, he sheathed his hammer and darted to his friend’s side.
Tony collapsed onto the ground, staring at the sky with a vacant expression.
~*~
The inside of his eyelids burned. His eyes popped open as he took in a soothing breath of air. He walked into the room, towards the figure lying on the bed. Familiar machines surrounded him; measuring his vitals. For a moment he watched the slow movements of Loki’s chest.
As if sensing him, Loki’s eyes eased open, glancing around in confusion. When he spotted Tony, his eyes softened.
“Well this is a switch.” His words came out shaky as Tony ran a clammy hand through his brown hair. His body trembled but he managed to walk to Loki’s side. The hospital blankets only reached Loki’s hips, allowing his bandaged torso to remain in full view.
Tony laughed before twirling a finger into the bandages, pulling them gently.
“Does it hurt . . . my prince?”
A pale hand moved to envelop Tony’s fingers. Tony felt his pulse quicken and he fought the pinpricks of tear as he smiled.
“You remember?”
Tony laughed.
“How can I forget? It was the first time you spoke to me,” his voice trailed off as he looked around the room. “As I recall, our positions were reversed.”
The pale hand clutched his tighter.

“Tony . . .”
“I think the move can work. I mean, it will take a long time for the others to get used to you living with me, but –”
“Tony.”
“I think Thor and I had, what you could call, a bonding moment. What, with that dragon thing, then me trying to kill him and –”
Auburn eyes darted around the room, looking at everything but the man on the bed.
“Tony!”
“No!”
His hands shook as his shout echoed in the empty room. He hoisted a leg on the bed, grabbing Loki’s shoulders in a painful grip.
“You hear me?! NO!”
He ignored the streaks trailing his face. He ignored Loki’s painful wince as his fingers dug into the pale shoulder blades.
He was real.
This was real.
“Tony, please listen.”
He wanted to shout but Loki’s soft voice and imploring eyes made him silent.
“I brought you here with the last of my strength.”
“This . . . this can’t be how it ends . . . it can’t be . . .”
His voice trailed off in a whisper. Comforting hands rested on the side of his face. Tony leaned into the touch on instinct.
“Your planet is saved. Thor has promised to watch over you. Everything will be fine.”
His throat felt parched. His lungs burning with every breath as Tony mindlessly shook his head.
“Find me . . . Please . . .”
The ground began shaking. In a flash, Loki disappeared before the bed crumbled beneath him.
“Tony!”
Someone was violently shaking his shoulder.
“Tony!”
The walls began falling, tumbling in on themselves.
“Man of Iron!”
Auburn eyes bolted open, before darting around to gain sense of his surroundings. Thor hovered above him, his brow knotted in worry before he smiled.
“You have returned!”
Thor reached out his hand and Tony took it, standing on his weak legs.
“Doom’s army is almost –”
“We have to go.”
The smile on Thor’s face faltered.
“Where?”
“Loki.”
As soon as his face shield locked into place, Tony blasted into the air. He didn’t need to ask Jarvis where Loki was. He just knew.
Below him, the city continued blazing but there were no civilians in sight. Normally, this would have frightened him but at the moment his heart was racing for a different reason. He flew by burning structures and deserted streets in a blur.
Amidst the gloomy square buildings of Roosevelt Island, he saw a flash of green. No sooner had he landed on the grass, he barked an order to Jarvis. Without a word, the suit disassembled. When he was free of his constraints, Tony sprinted towards his fallen lover.
He fell on his knees, gently cradling Loki’s head in his lap. Without hesitation, he bent to kiss the pale lips. Loki’s eyelids twitched before they slid open. At first, he couldn’t focus his vision, but when he saw Tony, he managed a weak smile.
“You came . . .”
“Listen, we have the best hospitals and I can literally purchase the best surgeon and –”
“Stop,” Loki brought a hand to rest on Tony’s face. He moved his eyes to glance behind Tony. Mjolnir slid from Thor’s hand as he moved to kneel beside Loki.
“Brother –”
“Will you keep your promise?”
Thor took a staggering breath, briefly looking away. He turned back to Loki, grasping his brother’s hand.
“I will.”
“Loki . . . please . . . I love you,” Tony whispered. He felt drained. Slowly, he moved his forehead to rest against Loki’s.
“The feeling . . . is mutual,” Loki breathed.
Tony smiled, enjoying the tender moment, but then Loki’s forehead grew cold. With a twitch, Tony sat up, staring at the lifeless form in his lap. The once mischievous green eyes had lost their twinkle as they stared at the sky.
“Loki . . . ?”
Behind them the tesseract moved into view, glowing green. Loki’s pale white skin began to glow a light blue before disappearing. After doing its part, the tesseract dropped to the ground.
“What just happened?!” Tony whirled around with a shout. Cerulean eyes narrowed in thought as Thor stared at the cube. A punch to his face knocked him to his side.
“You’re his brother! How could you let this happen?!” Tony continued punching Thor’s face since his armor shielded the rest of his body. Thor grabbed Tony’s wrists, effectively stopping the assault. Using his larger body to topple the other man to the ground, Thor tried to console his broken teammate.
“Calm yourself!”
“How can I?!”
Thor remained silent, allowing Tony to cry. Slowly he reached down, wrapping his arms around the shaking body. At first Tony tried to fight him, to claw at his armor. Once his hysteria had subsided, he clutched at the offered comfort. Thor rubbed his back soothingly.
“I feel your loss, Tony. He is – was my brother.”
Thor felt Tony clutch him tighter as he continued to breathe in ragged gasps.
“I believe that at some time Loki had gotten control of the tesseract. He must have used his magic to command the cube to take him back to the underworld of our realm.”
Tony allowed his body to relax as he nudged his face into the crook of Thor’s shoulder.
“Is he . . . alive?”
“No, but he’s home.”
~*~
“This is the most ridiculous fail-safe I have ever seen,” Natasha shook her head before stabbing the scepter in the middle of a glowing blue orb.
Dr. Selvig shook his head with smile before tilting his head to watch the portal above.
“Natasha, is it in place?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
There was a few second of delay before Natasha heard a rumble across the sky. She turned her head to watch a nuclear warhead hurtle towards the giant purple gash in the sky. As soon as the weapon went through, she twisted the scepter.
Blue crackling energy streamed towards the sky, sealing the portal shut like a bleeding wound. A flicker and the scepter turned dull. Natasha leaped towards the edge of the rooftop and cautiously looked over the edge.
Hovercrafts crashed into building as aliens toppled from them. As if perfectly choreographed, every alien simply crumbled to the ground, lifeless. She touched the intercom in her ear.
“It worked!”
She heard Fury take a long breath.
“Excellent.”
“I think it’s time to celebrate,” She smiled as she spotted Steve and the Hulk on the streets below. They were staring at the broken aliens in surprise.
“Have you seen Tony or Thor? We need to tell them the good news!”
~*~
EPILOGUE
~*~
Every time he needed to think, Tony would sit at the edge of his tower, right above the giant emblazoned “Stark” beneath him. The wind would viciously whip around his hair and the sun would shine against his face making him feel calm. Except this time he felt no warmth, only irritation at the biting wind and the sweat breaking out on his forehead.
He inched closer to the edge, watching his feet dangle above the crowded streets below.
The day after the battle, the great clean up had begun. Weeks had passed and everything seemed to go back to normal.
Pepper had pretty much taken over his company since he was notably absent from any meetings involving Stark Industries. S.H.E.I.L.D had been repaired and Clint would be checking out the hospital any minute now with a cheerful Natasha holding his arm. Banner was quietly working in the lab. Meanwhile Steve was wandering around, poking at technology and asking questions to the amusement of all.
Thor? He had no idea where Thor went. After the battle, he had made a fantastic disappearance, leaving Tony with his thoughts. Anyone who knew Tony understood that leaving him to his own devices was a bad idea.
He hadn’t done a single useful thing after the battle. He had gone back to training his liver and experimenting with various drugs – anything to send his memories into oblivion.
Mindlessly, he inched a little closer. His stomach lurched briefly, making him aware that another inch and he would fall. Somehow, he didn’t seem to care.
“Tony?”
A jolt ran through him at hearing his name; his grip on the edge momentarily slipped.
“What do you want?” He had meant the question to sound neutral but had subconsciously asked it between clenched teeth.
However, Thor has caught the meaning if the uncomfortable silence bore any indication. After a moment, he heard Thor take a tentative step toward him.
“Would you please move away from the edge?”
Narrowing his eyes at the distant figures below, Tony breathed a soft, “No.”
Without hesitation Thor darted forward, catching Tony before he could launch himself from the edge. Twisting in Thor’s grip, Tony managed to land a punch to his face before he was thrown backwards – away from the streets below.
“H-how dare you!? You leave for weeks and now you come back to disturb my only moment of solitude!”
To his credit, Thor remained silent. Tony didn’t know anymore if he was angry at the situation or from Thor stopping him from his weak suicide attempt.
“Tony –”
“You know what? Shut up. I don’t care!” He staggered to his feet. “Why don’t you just swing your fancy giant wand and disappear!” Spiting the phrase with as much venom as he could muster, he turned on his heel to walk away, knowing that he would be embarrassed later at his tantrum.
“I have news on Loki.”
He froze in mid-step as he took in the words one by one. A faint glimmer of hope began to appear in his heart before he crushed it. Composing himself, he turned to face Thor.
“That he’s dead? I got that.”
“Well, yes, but –”
“But what?!” He shook at the sound of his own voice as he struggled to keep his tears at bay. He’d be damned if he was going to cry in front of Thor . . . again.
“He is dead, but there’s a possibility that he doesn’t have to stay dead.”
Nervously, Tony ran his sweaty palm through his hair.
“What?” Tony noticeable swayed on his feet, his mind racing in too many directions.
“I found out that he had placed a spell on the tesseract that in the event that he died on Earth he would be sent back to ours. As you know, our world is more complicated that yours. We have seven different –”
“Spare me the lesson on cultural differences.”
Thor took deep breath and momentarily closed his eyes. When he opened them, he stared directly into Tony’s frantic eyes.
“In short, there is a way we can get him back. It will be a long journey, but it is possible.”
Tony’s heart resumed its rapid beating. He didn’t know whether to punch Thor for not coming back sooner or to hug him. Instead, he took a few shallow breaths to calm his nerves.
“So, when do we leave?”
Thor’s face broke out into a smile as he held out his hand.
“As you like to say – no time like the present.”
- 19
- 20
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

The Avengers: Tainted Love