Can't Be Ignored, 5/6. R.
Title: Can't Be Ignored
Series: #12 in Ready For The Siege
(#1 - Look Over Your Shoulder, #2 - Armed Up To The Teeth, #3 - Misery Inspires, #4 - Broken Underneath, #5 - Change Is Coming Soon, #6 - Lick Your Wounds, #7 - Bitter Sparks, #8 - Father's Will, #9 - To Feel Safe Again, #10 - Hit Your Prime, #11 - Open Your Eyes)
Author: Eustacia Vye
Author's e-mail: eustacia_vye28@hotmail.com
Rating: R
Pairing: Loki/Natasha
Disclaimer: Not mine! Some comic backstory is incorporated into characterizations, but this is still primarily movieverse.
Spoilers/Warnings: Post-movie. Read the other stories before this one, because it does refer back to events in them. Additional warning for misogyny (internalized and society-driven) and references to torture.
Title and series title from "The Royal We" by Silversun Pickups
Special thanks to phoenixrising06/
romanovasledger for plotting and characterization discussion. :)
Summary: Rather than wait for a full scale attack to reach Asgard, they decide to make the first strike themselves.
Prior chapters:
One - Fall From Grace
Two - What The Dead Know
Three - Portals
Four - Ready For Battle
Five - For Asgard
The collapsed Chitauri on Lutain and Danheil were left behind, as well as the dead Asgardian warriors. Everyone able to run and fight had followed the Leviathans with their riders, who seemed to be a mix of Chitauri generals and other figures. "Who are those guys?!" Tony called out into the comms. "Anybody have any idea?"
Loki looked as closely as he could, given how quickly the Leviathans swooped and dove between the towers of Asgard. He had to use a vision spell in order to see, and familiar faces met his gaze. He had to push aside the fear that threatened to rise; this was war now, and he was not in a helpless position any longer. "Those are Thanos' generals. They lead his army to destroy Asgard in a bid to please Hel."
"Well, then," Clint said, holding his bow tightly. "Let's give 'em all hell."
Chitauri that hadn't fallen were spilling through the portals as well. "We need to take down the other neural network," Natasha said over the comms, voice clipped and terse.
"I'm on it," Steve's voice rang out confidently. "Hey, Sif, this way. I think I see another one of those things... Stand by, Jane."
"Got it. Heimdall's got his eye on you two."
"We'll need to spread out, try to minimize the casualties toward the people," Loki called out, ignoring Volstagg's incredulous stare. Thor had approached as he spoke, and grinned at him. It took Loki a moment to realize that Thor likely thought he could be brought back into the fold somehow, that he could call Loki "brother" again.
Honestly, Loki wasn't sure if he was willing to take on that mantle, or if he ever would be ready for such a thing. It was so tiring being Thor's brother, and even with Frigga half the time Loki felt as though he could no longer measure up to expectations.
But he could fight Thanos and his generals. He could stem the tide of death on Asgard, keep it safe just this once. Natasha was right; this was his home, for better or for worse, and no one else should ever be able to destroy it if he couldn't.
"We can direct them to the main thoroughfares and gardens," Thor said, pointing with Mjolnir in hand. "Keep them away from the artisan and work districts."
"Why is the alarm not sounding?" Fandral asked with a frown. "There should be an alarm to evacuate to safer locations..."
"Is there any point?" Loki asked sharply. "The Chitauri are everywhere. There are no safe places on Asgard. They've been killing Healers as well as jarls and karls." His lips curled in derision when Fandral and Volstagg looked shocked that he knew of the deaths. Thor merely looked thoughtful. "It's best that they all stay inside and keep off the streets. Less panic and civilian casualties that way."
"Do you even care about the civilians?" Volstagg asked acidly.
"I want the Chitauri dead," Loki hissed. "I want Thanos stopped. You don't need more than that to secure my aid."
"Hold," Thor said quietly, reaching out to touch Volstagg's arm. "Now is not the time to question him. We need those foul creatures stopped."
"This is certainly the time to question it. He could be giving us aid merely to seize the throne!"
"I offer you aid despite the price of my life!" Loki roared. His anger was palpable, though Volstagg held his ground. Fandral actually seemed concerned that Loki would strike him, and subtly shifted position to stand between them. "If you doubt me, shed that spelled armor. Drop those enchanted weapons." Loki bared his teeth, hands fisted at his sides. "I have done you no wrongs this day, Volstagg. I do honor my bargains!" He raised one fist in a threatening manner, making all the Asgardians bristle and ready themselves. "When this is done, there will be a reckoning, Volstagg. I challenge you to holmgang."
"Recant, brother-" Thor began anxiously.
"No, I will not," Loki said, lips thinned in anger just as Volstagg sneered "You will not show, seidmadr."
"You harm our cause!" Fandral hissed at Volstagg. "Loki has come to our aid in this, whatever his reasons, and the Chitauri continue to invade our home!" He shook Volstagg's arm to gain his attention. "Sheathe your doubts until there is reason to air them."
An explosion in the distance cut off Volstagg's reply. "That was in the artisan district," Thor said, voice grave. He looked around; most of the Asgardians and the Avengers had already fanned out to fight the Chitauri while Steve tried to find the other neural network hub. "Come, there is still much to do." He leveled a stern look at Volstagg. "We need Loki, and he does not intend us harm."
"Now," Volstagg intoned, glaring at him.
Loki sneered at Volstagg and then turned on his heel to head to the artisan district. He could hear footsteps behind him, but wouldn't turn to see who it was. Halfway there, he realized that he had separated himself from Natasha and Clint, and cursed inwardly. No going back, however.
Just as he reached the artisan district, Loki heard an explosion off in the distance. It sounded as though it came from the portals far behind them, not from Asgard. He cast several concussive spells in succession, sending Chitauri drones flying. Grasping one of their energy staves, he spun it around in a wide arc, catching another foot soldier in the face. He fell back, knocking another down. Dark hair flying into his face, Loki grit his teeth and let go of his rage. He was good enough to fight. He hadn't tried to kill any of these accursed Asgardians that so vilified him. He protected Natasha and her favored companions. He had created enchanted items to help them all, at great cost to his disguise. He continued to fight, despite the price on his head.
Loki was worthy of more than disdain and mockery, damn their eyes. Never mind he had difficulty believing it himself most of the time, that he destroyed every chance at happiness he had ever held. He was not broken, would not yield.
Later, perhaps, but not now. Now he was in his element, the chaos of battle appealing to the deep well of emptiness inside him. He could grunt and shout and curse all of Creation, the Roots and Branches and Leaves of Yggdrasil, could drive his hatred into his spells and burn his enemies on the spot. Here, it was allowed, encouraged, praised. Here, he could act without second guessing himself, without feeling judged. Chitauri fell beneath his hand or his spells, and he racked up a body count every bit as impressive as Fandral's or Volstagg's. Perhaps not Thor's, but Loki was still a force to be reckoned with. He was still a warrior, still a man.
Just after one of his massive fireball spells, the Chitauri seemed to freeze in place, rooted to the spot. Then as one, they fell to the ground, insensate.
"It seems as though our friend the good Captain achieved his mission objective," one of the Asgardian commanders said, a weary grin on his face. "Asgard is saved!"
Loki rather doubted that, and looked around. It wasn't over. It wouldn't be this easy. Thanos would not give up in courting Hel this quickly.
A cry went up in the distance, and Loki looked to the sky. He could see a crazed Leviathan suddenly straighten out. It was still being controlled.
"Some generals remain!" Loki boomed, pointing at the sky with his stolen staff. "The generals are still on the battlefield, our mission is not complete."
The weary Asgardians turned and headed toward the Leviathans.
***
Though the Chitauri collapsed soon after Steve called out a warning over the comms, some of the overhead fliers continued to fire. "We're dealing with a third group of Chitauri?" Clint asked incredulously.
One of the Asgardian officers nearby pulled out a collapsible spyglass and looked at the remaining Leviathans and chariots that weren't careening into the ground or random buildings. "Nay," he said after a moment. "Chitauri are not blue."
It was too far away, even for Clint's eyesight, and the Asgardian handed over the golden spyglass at his request. Natasha merely raised an eyebrow in query when he returned the spyglass to the officer. "Well?" she prompted when he remained silent.
"Don't know what it is, but it's not Chitauri."
"So helpful," she snarked, blowing out a breath.
"The thing seems to be circling," the Asgardian officer said. He sounded rather uncertain.
"Could be looking for a place to land," Clint offered.
"Then why don't we send it an invitation?" Natasha asked. Her ferocious grin seemed too disconcert the Asgardian officer.
Clint dialed up a particularly nasty explosive arrow from his quiver. "One invitation, coming up," he announced.
The explosion rocked the Leviathan, and several creatures seemed to fall from its back as it started plummeting out of the sky. Not the blue-skinned one, however. As it approached in its death throes, the Leviathan bellowed in a loud, painful voice. "We're almost done on the ground, too," Clint called out.
Natasha had taken the spyglass from the Asgardian and frowned at what she saw. "It's a different species from the Chitauri and the uniform isn't the same. I think it's an officer."
"Then we need to target the officers and cut them down," the Asgardian declared grandly. "If there is no one to lead them, the remaining Chitauri will fall."
It was a good plan, in any case.
One general somersaulted down from her Leviathan, two staves in hand. She had blue skin, with cybernetic joints and one completely cybernetic arm. Her eyes took in the melee around her for a split second before diving in and starting to beat on seasoned Asgardian warriors with little difficulty. Natasha took one look at her style, lips thinning. "I can disable a cybernetic arm," she said in flat tones over the comm. "I've got her," she announced, as if she had spare ammunition for her pistols. But then, she was just as facile with her knives and the twin swords. She hadn't had any reason to use her Widow's Bites, thermal charges or electrocution discs until now. Those would come in handy against this general.
"I've got your six," Clint replied, falling in behind her.
Natasha snorted, the corner of her lips quirking into something almost like a smile. "As if you were going to let anyone else do it."
"Hey, we've trained together long enough and often enough I know what kind of backup you need." He gave her a smile and nodded toward his quiver. "And I seem to have gotten infinite ammo, so no worries on my account." As if to punctuate his statement, he retrieved an arrow, nocked it and fired it within two seconds, skewering a Chitauri general that probably wasn't connected to either neural net. The general snarled and bared his sharp teeth, but the blue-skinned woman ignored him as she stalked forward.
Natasha gave her twin swords a shake as she rolled her wrists. "In that case, I think we're ready to party."
***
Steve was startled by the explosion that rocked the ground when the second neural net was destroyed. He stumbled, and saw that Sif hadn't. She had braced herself against a possible impact, feet wide apart for balance with her knees bent. It reminded Steve of standing on a turbulent subway car. Chitauri fell this time, so Steve tapped his earpiece back into the "on" setting. "Hey, Jane. Got it. What do you see on your end?"
"There aren't any other signals that look like a neural net," she offered, "though the ones you found so far didn't give off readings like one. I still see a lot of things moving in the air and on the ground."
"Yeah, we're gonna have to take 'em out," Steve replied with a sigh.
Not having an earpiece, Sif merely shot Steve a questioning look. He pointed toward the Leviathans remaining in the air and then the staggering grounds-level foes that remained. She shot him a grim smile, then adjusted her grip in her sword before heading towards a few of the Chitauri that remained on the ground.
Steve followed, and it was easy to fall into a steady rhythm of fighting with Sif. Neither needed to really speak, and their styles seemed to dovetail nicely. The Chitauri fighters were vicious, but they didn't have the sheer numbers they used to. Without the foot soldiers, the Chitauri officers had to fight themselves. Their style was less fluid or coordinated, and Steve found them easy to knock down with his shield, punch or kick. Sif had offered him sword training earlier, and he was starting to regret turning her down. "There's something to sword fighting, huh?" he asked her, out of breath during a lull.
She merely grinned at him, though she was just as battle weary. "More elegant than your projectile weaponry," she replied.
"And can't run out of ammo," Steve agreed. "Not something I'm used to, though."
Sif grasped a sword from one of the fallen Asgardians nearby and handed it to him with a grim expression. "No need to delay training, then. You begin now, and the lessons will be that much more memorable."
Shaking his head ruefully, Steve adjusted his grip on the hilt. "No kidding. Let's do this, then."
***
Feeling out of sorts and close to death, Loki moved through the battlefield. Most of the Chitauri were immobilized, at least. He stopped short at the sight of one of Thanos' trusted generals decapitating a palace guard. He was tall, with dark skin and startlingly light eyes. His armor was metallic, resembling the anti-magic metal that had caused Loki so much grief. Those light eyes turned and he stopped short at the sight of Loki.
"Korath," he said, stretching his lips in a mockery of a gracious smile. "Not dead yet. Pity."
"The little liar," Korath intoned, lip curling in distaste. His eyes took in the braided leather, gold and runic armor. "So you live after all. You have displeased our master, and you know the penalty for failure."
"One you should have paid."
"Oh, I haven't displeased our master." He grinned, teeth bright white against the dark of his skin, eyes crinkling at the corners. "I've found quite the treasure for his trove."
The Infinity Gems.
Panic flared in Loki's chest, and he wanted to destroy Korath with his bare hands. Magic wouldn't touch him, not with that armor, not with those weapons. Spelled weapons wouldn't do any harm to him either.
"Oh, Horns, don't tell me you weren't going to share playmates," Tony called out, flying into place nearby. Loki was actually grateful to the braying human, but could never tell the mortal such a thing.
Even worse, the Hulk and Thor were close on his heels.
"Then by all means, do take care of this odious creature. Magic will not work on his weapons or armor," he added, as if it was a terrible bother.
Loki could almost imagine the wheels turning in his mind even as Tony lifted a palm and sent a repulsor blast toward Korath. The general flew backward nearly a hundred yards, his eyes widening comically as he was thrown. "Well." Even Tony sounded nonplused. "This ought to be interesting playtime."
Tony turned in the general direction of the Hulk. "Hey, Big Guy, this one's got anti-magic stuff on. You'd almost think he doesn't like Loki."
"Not nice," the Hulk growled, leaping into the fray. He swatted away a Chitauri officer, who landed half on a broken wall, its spine audibly snapping. It emitted a baleful cry, drawing the attention of nearby stragglers.
Thor hefted Mjolnir threateningly when Korath struggled to get to his feet. "Spells are ineffective against this foe. Let us defeat him," he told Loki. "There are others still to vanquish."
Loki nodded and took the out he was given. "There are other generals for Thanos, and the creature himself might be here to see his handiwork."
"We got this," Tony said, blasting a Chitauri soldier looking to climb onto the Hulk's back. The Hulk grunted his acknowledgement, then brought his fist down over the soldier's chest. In the background were other explosions and the sound of laser blasts. "Head on that way. Sounds like a general at work."
As much as Loki hated taking direction from others, the recommendation was sound. "He fights dirty," he told Tony, nodding in Korath's direction. "He claims an honorable nature, but he will take advantage of you."
Tony laughed as Mjolnir flew from Thor's hand and struck Korath in the solar plexus. The armor held, but Korath was once again knocked down. "I think we've got a few tricks up our sleeve."
Loki nodded and took off for the armory.
***
Natasha circled the blue-skinned woman with cybernetic implants. "Who are you?" she asked, not sure she would even get an answer. Knowing that Clint had her six meant that she could focus entirely on the woman, who had to keep her awareness split between Natasha, Clint, the environment around her and any additional potential opponents. Even so, Natasha didn't think she would have it so easy. Thanos wouldn't have weaklings as generals.
"You may refer to me as Nebula," the woman replied. "You are not of this world. Who are you?"
"Natasha Romanoff. I'm from Earth."
"That backwater?"
"It's home," Natasha answered without inflection. "What about you?"
Nebula fell into a fighter's crouch. "I come from everywhere and nowhere." At Natasha's questioning look, she laughed. It was a cruel, mocking sound. "Thanos is my grandfather," Nebula declared, arrogance in her tone. "We'll have all the Infinity Gems, and the universe will be ours to reshape."
It seemed to be a pretty standard Evil Overlord kind of plan, but Loki's description of Thanos had included a galaxy-sized ego. It seemed to be a crucial component of Thanos' persona, and something he had passed down to his granddaughter.
"And he courts the Lady Hel," Natasha replied. "I assume he would reshape things so that Hel is by his side."
Nebula snorted and bared her teeth. "Death will serve us."
Knowing Hel, that wasn't very likely at all, even in a reshaped universe. Natasha fell into a stance that mirrored Nebula's, twin swords in her hands. "Hel won't appreciate that," she told Nebula quietly. "She can't be owned or forced to do someone else's bidding."
"All will serve Thanos!" Nebula cried, surging forward with her staves.
Natasha parried the first attack with her left sword, swinging the right one around toward Nebula's torso. The second staff caught the blade and deflected it. Nebula's next strike was parried as well, but the shock of it reverberated up Natasha's blade and into her arm. The first priority would have to be disabling that cybernetic arm. Feinting toward the right, Natasha slid both swords into that hand and tossed one of her electroshock discs toward Nebula's cybernetic arm. The mercenary didn't realize what it was at first, and continued to push forward with her staves. Natasha was forced to fall to one knee when one staff struck her shoulder, but she swallowed the pain and lunged forward with the swords into the open space.
Scoring a direct hit to Nebula's torso as the disc took effect, Natasha watched as Nebula skittered back a few steps. It wasn't much, but it was something Natasha could work with. She spun one sword in a circle as she lunged forward with the other. Nebula was a hardened mercenary, however, and didn't let a little pain distract her. The cybernetic arm worked awkwardly at best now, but Nebula still knocked the spinning sword out of Natasha's hand with her staff. Natasha had to duck to avoid a strike to the head. She twisted and pushed off the ground as she kicked at Nebula's normal knee viciously. Nebula staggered back a step, allowing Natasha a little room to slap an electroshock disc onto the cybernetic parts of the other knee and lower leg. Nebula groaned in pain as her body spasmed.
Somewhere beyond the two of them, Clint had Natasha's six. She normally wouldn't ignore her surroundings, but could do so now, focusing entirely on Nebula. Coming in close didn't faze the mercenary in the slightest. She tossed aside her staff and snarled at Natasha. "You will still fall," Nebula told her. "Your death will be a grand prize."
"Maybe, but not for you," Natasha said sweetly as she grappled Nebula and flipped her over. Natasha completed her tumble even after Nebula hit the ground. "Hel doesn't want me yet. She'd rather I give her more souls first."
"But you don't serve Thanos," Nebula gasped, flipping up to her feet.
"I serve myself," Natasha replied, teeth bared.
The metal arm hurt when it slammed into her ribs, but Natasha knew how to swallow down pain and keep going. The healing would kick in sooner or later, so she could wait on checking her wounds. Clint hated that, and thought it was extraordinarily reckless of her. But her rib wasn't cracked, and there were more important things to worry about. Her electroshock discs indeed had short circuited the metallic limbs, but they were still somewhat functional. Nebula didn't seem to care that they were glitchy and didn't always follow her commands. She simply twisted her torso and swung the arm around as a counterweight, as if it was a Morningstar attached to her shoulder. How annoying.
Natasha caught Nebula's arm in her hands and attempted to swing the mercenary around in a wide circle. She stumbled, but didn't fall. Natasha pulled on the arm, but there was no yanking it out of its socket. That did force Nebula to have to twist away from Natasha, though she yanked a short dagger out of her waistband and buried it in Natasha's side. Teeth grit, Natasha moved past the pain to drive her knee into Nebula's chest. Then into her face a few times. Then for good measure, Natasha drove both of her Widow's bites into her head. The charges dispersed into the base of her skull, triggering a seizurelike reaction in Nebula. Eyes rolling up into the back of her head, Nebula collapsed to the ground.
"Holy crap," Clint said, letting loose an exploding arrow into the distance. "There's more of these guys coming in." He tapped his comm to relay that message for Jane. "Whatever else these generals were for, it wasn't maintaining a neural net."
Catching her breath, Natasha nodded and dropped to the ground beside Nebula. She cut bits of Nebula's clothing into strips to bind her wrists and ankles. "This will have to do until we find something better."
"We're only going to piss her off if she breaks free."
Natasha took out one of her own knives that Maeginbiorn had made for her. "Well, let's put her at a disadvantage, then, shall we?" She started prying at the plates and sensors in the arm, taking it apart systematically. Clint had to look away when she started prying at the cybernetic parts on Nebula's face and skull.
It was dirty and not pretty, but someone had to do it.
***
The ground shook violently as the Hulk crashed into it from nearly a hundred feet above. "Tell Bruce to be careful!" Jane cried into Tony's earpiece. "That seismic shock is screwing up my readings. Oh, and there's a school nearby."
"Good to see your priorities never change," Tony teased, flying in over the Hulk's position.
"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity," Jane huffed. "And besides, I'm not doing the fighting. I get to listen and do the math."
"And advance the field of theoretical physics by at least a decade or two." Tony peered through the rubble beneath the Hulk. It was difficult to see through the dust cloud and debris. "JARVIS, any life signs on Korath?"
"Affirmative, sir. He is attempting to use the dust as cover to evade your forces."
"Oh, we can't have that..." Tony began, holding out his hands. Using the repulsor blasts on a lower setting, he cleared the dust clouds from around the Hulk's feet. "Hey, Big Guy, there's a nasty little critter between your toes somewhere."
Thor in the meantime was using Mjolnir to strike down the remaining Chitauri officers or send them flying through the air. When they landed badly, they didn't get back up.
"Where is Thanos, foul creature?" Thor demanded as Hulk reached down to pick up Korath.
Though Korath gulped for air, his entire demeanor was one of defiance. "My lord Thanos will defeat you all and offer your souls to Lady Death."
Unimpressed, the Hulk began to shake Korath violently. He didn't bang him into the ground; the Hulk was aware of the situation enough to know that Korath likely wouldn't survive such treatment. "Answer!" the Hulk roared in Korath's face.
But the general merely grinned maniacally, blood from his split lips smearing over his teeth. "I will answer you this, mortal. You will die, and you will be given to Lady Death." He laughed and looked at Thor's discomfited expression. "Even you do not last forever, Asgardian. Death comes for you, too."
"You first," the Hulk spat, raising his fist. It was clear he intended to smash Korath into the ground, which would break every bone in his body.
"Nay, hold fast!" Thor boomed, holding out his hand. When the Hulk paused, Thor narrowed his eyes at Korath. "I have a better idea. Let us find my lady mother. She can work her spells, and Korath will tell us all we wish to know."
Korath's eyes widened almost comically. "That is not honorable!"
Thor stalked forward and lifted Korath's chin with Mjolnir in a threatening manner. "You have no honor. You and your treacherous men have slaughtered innocents, butchered our people, tricked others into aiding your cause. No, you have no honor. Spell work is too good for you, but it will have to do."
Tony let out a low whistle, then flew up into the air. "Glad you're on our side, Thor. Let me go and get your Mom. Maybe in the meantime, Blue Eyes here will feel like talking."
***
Steve was exhausted. There was the burn of muscles being worked to their limits, some shortness of breath, sweat causing his uniform and hair to stick to him. Sif was in the same position, at least, though she laughed like the warrior maiden she was. It was glorious to watch her in action, and Steve knew that his mimicry of her moves was still woefully inadequate. Still, he had already improved his sword technique greatly. She shot him a pleased smile and a nod, which made him feel a great sense of pride. He hadn't trained with a sword for years, but still received her approval.
And if he rather liked the sight of her smile for its own sake, he didn't have to mention it just yet.
Stopping to take a breather, Steve looked around at the devastated section of Asgard. "It's going to take a lot to rebuild."
Sif nodded, her pleased smile slipping into a grim expression. "But at least our people will have the opportunity to do so. If it were up to Thanos, none of us would survive."
Touching her arm in support, Steve gave her a half smile. "Good thing it's not, huh?"
"Aye," she replied, covering his hand with one of hers. She returned his smile as her fingers intertwined with his. "It is."
Now Steve's smile grew a shade embarrassed. He wanted to say something witty, but that had never been his forte around someone he liked. "Say, Sif-"
Her expectant expression darkened suddenly, and she pulled away. "Fire," she declared.
Steve turned around and looked in the direction she was staring at. "Do you know where that is?" he asked, awkwardness forgotten.
"The armory," she told him.
He tightened his grip on his sword and checked his shield on his arm. "Then let's go."
***
***
To chapter Six - Revelations
Series: #12 in Ready For The Siege
(#1 - Look Over Your Shoulder, #2 - Armed Up To The Teeth, #3 - Misery Inspires, #4 - Broken Underneath, #5 - Change Is Coming Soon, #6 - Lick Your Wounds, #7 - Bitter Sparks, #8 - Father's Will, #9 - To Feel Safe Again, #10 - Hit Your Prime, #11 - Open Your Eyes)
Author: Eustacia Vye
Author's e-mail: eustacia_vye28@hotmail.com
Rating: R
Pairing: Loki/Natasha
Disclaimer: Not mine! Some comic backstory is incorporated into characterizations, but this is still primarily movieverse.
Spoilers/Warnings: Post-movie. Read the other stories before this one, because it does refer back to events in them. Additional warning for misogyny (internalized and society-driven) and references to torture.
Title and series title from "The Royal We" by Silversun Pickups
Special thanks to phoenixrising06/
romanovasledger for plotting and characterization discussion. :)
Summary: Rather than wait for a full scale attack to reach Asgard, they decide to make the first strike themselves.
Prior chapters:
One - Fall From Grace
Two - What The Dead Know
Three - Portals
Four - Ready For Battle
Five - For Asgard
The collapsed Chitauri on Lutain and Danheil were left behind, as well as the dead Asgardian warriors. Everyone able to run and fight had followed the Leviathans with their riders, who seemed to be a mix of Chitauri generals and other figures. "Who are those guys?!" Tony called out into the comms. "Anybody have any idea?"
Loki looked as closely as he could, given how quickly the Leviathans swooped and dove between the towers of Asgard. He had to use a vision spell in order to see, and familiar faces met his gaze. He had to push aside the fear that threatened to rise; this was war now, and he was not in a helpless position any longer. "Those are Thanos' generals. They lead his army to destroy Asgard in a bid to please Hel."
"Well, then," Clint said, holding his bow tightly. "Let's give 'em all hell."
Chitauri that hadn't fallen were spilling through the portals as well. "We need to take down the other neural network," Natasha said over the comms, voice clipped and terse.
"I'm on it," Steve's voice rang out confidently. "Hey, Sif, this way. I think I see another one of those things... Stand by, Jane."
"Got it. Heimdall's got his eye on you two."
"We'll need to spread out, try to minimize the casualties toward the people," Loki called out, ignoring Volstagg's incredulous stare. Thor had approached as he spoke, and grinned at him. It took Loki a moment to realize that Thor likely thought he could be brought back into the fold somehow, that he could call Loki "brother" again.
Honestly, Loki wasn't sure if he was willing to take on that mantle, or if he ever would be ready for such a thing. It was so tiring being Thor's brother, and even with Frigga half the time Loki felt as though he could no longer measure up to expectations.
But he could fight Thanos and his generals. He could stem the tide of death on Asgard, keep it safe just this once. Natasha was right; this was his home, for better or for worse, and no one else should ever be able to destroy it if he couldn't.
"We can direct them to the main thoroughfares and gardens," Thor said, pointing with Mjolnir in hand. "Keep them away from the artisan and work districts."
"Why is the alarm not sounding?" Fandral asked with a frown. "There should be an alarm to evacuate to safer locations..."
"Is there any point?" Loki asked sharply. "The Chitauri are everywhere. There are no safe places on Asgard. They've been killing Healers as well as jarls and karls." His lips curled in derision when Fandral and Volstagg looked shocked that he knew of the deaths. Thor merely looked thoughtful. "It's best that they all stay inside and keep off the streets. Less panic and civilian casualties that way."
"Do you even care about the civilians?" Volstagg asked acidly.
"I want the Chitauri dead," Loki hissed. "I want Thanos stopped. You don't need more than that to secure my aid."
"Hold," Thor said quietly, reaching out to touch Volstagg's arm. "Now is not the time to question him. We need those foul creatures stopped."
"This is certainly the time to question it. He could be giving us aid merely to seize the throne!"
"I offer you aid despite the price of my life!" Loki roared. His anger was palpable, though Volstagg held his ground. Fandral actually seemed concerned that Loki would strike him, and subtly shifted position to stand between them. "If you doubt me, shed that spelled armor. Drop those enchanted weapons." Loki bared his teeth, hands fisted at his sides. "I have done you no wrongs this day, Volstagg. I do honor my bargains!" He raised one fist in a threatening manner, making all the Asgardians bristle and ready themselves. "When this is done, there will be a reckoning, Volstagg. I challenge you to holmgang."
"Recant, brother-" Thor began anxiously.
"No, I will not," Loki said, lips thinned in anger just as Volstagg sneered "You will not show, seidmadr."
"You harm our cause!" Fandral hissed at Volstagg. "Loki has come to our aid in this, whatever his reasons, and the Chitauri continue to invade our home!" He shook Volstagg's arm to gain his attention. "Sheathe your doubts until there is reason to air them."
An explosion in the distance cut off Volstagg's reply. "That was in the artisan district," Thor said, voice grave. He looked around; most of the Asgardians and the Avengers had already fanned out to fight the Chitauri while Steve tried to find the other neural network hub. "Come, there is still much to do." He leveled a stern look at Volstagg. "We need Loki, and he does not intend us harm."
"Now," Volstagg intoned, glaring at him.
Loki sneered at Volstagg and then turned on his heel to head to the artisan district. He could hear footsteps behind him, but wouldn't turn to see who it was. Halfway there, he realized that he had separated himself from Natasha and Clint, and cursed inwardly. No going back, however.
Just as he reached the artisan district, Loki heard an explosion off in the distance. It sounded as though it came from the portals far behind them, not from Asgard. He cast several concussive spells in succession, sending Chitauri drones flying. Grasping one of their energy staves, he spun it around in a wide arc, catching another foot soldier in the face. He fell back, knocking another down. Dark hair flying into his face, Loki grit his teeth and let go of his rage. He was good enough to fight. He hadn't tried to kill any of these accursed Asgardians that so vilified him. He protected Natasha and her favored companions. He had created enchanted items to help them all, at great cost to his disguise. He continued to fight, despite the price on his head.
Loki was worthy of more than disdain and mockery, damn their eyes. Never mind he had difficulty believing it himself most of the time, that he destroyed every chance at happiness he had ever held. He was not broken, would not yield.
Later, perhaps, but not now. Now he was in his element, the chaos of battle appealing to the deep well of emptiness inside him. He could grunt and shout and curse all of Creation, the Roots and Branches and Leaves of Yggdrasil, could drive his hatred into his spells and burn his enemies on the spot. Here, it was allowed, encouraged, praised. Here, he could act without second guessing himself, without feeling judged. Chitauri fell beneath his hand or his spells, and he racked up a body count every bit as impressive as Fandral's or Volstagg's. Perhaps not Thor's, but Loki was still a force to be reckoned with. He was still a warrior, still a man.
Just after one of his massive fireball spells, the Chitauri seemed to freeze in place, rooted to the spot. Then as one, they fell to the ground, insensate.
"It seems as though our friend the good Captain achieved his mission objective," one of the Asgardian commanders said, a weary grin on his face. "Asgard is saved!"
Loki rather doubted that, and looked around. It wasn't over. It wouldn't be this easy. Thanos would not give up in courting Hel this quickly.
A cry went up in the distance, and Loki looked to the sky. He could see a crazed Leviathan suddenly straighten out. It was still being controlled.
"Some generals remain!" Loki boomed, pointing at the sky with his stolen staff. "The generals are still on the battlefield, our mission is not complete."
The weary Asgardians turned and headed toward the Leviathans.
***
Though the Chitauri collapsed soon after Steve called out a warning over the comms, some of the overhead fliers continued to fire. "We're dealing with a third group of Chitauri?" Clint asked incredulously.
One of the Asgardian officers nearby pulled out a collapsible spyglass and looked at the remaining Leviathans and chariots that weren't careening into the ground or random buildings. "Nay," he said after a moment. "Chitauri are not blue."
It was too far away, even for Clint's eyesight, and the Asgardian handed over the golden spyglass at his request. Natasha merely raised an eyebrow in query when he returned the spyglass to the officer. "Well?" she prompted when he remained silent.
"Don't know what it is, but it's not Chitauri."
"So helpful," she snarked, blowing out a breath.
"The thing seems to be circling," the Asgardian officer said. He sounded rather uncertain.
"Could be looking for a place to land," Clint offered.
"Then why don't we send it an invitation?" Natasha asked. Her ferocious grin seemed too disconcert the Asgardian officer.
Clint dialed up a particularly nasty explosive arrow from his quiver. "One invitation, coming up," he announced.
The explosion rocked the Leviathan, and several creatures seemed to fall from its back as it started plummeting out of the sky. Not the blue-skinned one, however. As it approached in its death throes, the Leviathan bellowed in a loud, painful voice. "We're almost done on the ground, too," Clint called out.
Natasha had taken the spyglass from the Asgardian and frowned at what she saw. "It's a different species from the Chitauri and the uniform isn't the same. I think it's an officer."
"Then we need to target the officers and cut them down," the Asgardian declared grandly. "If there is no one to lead them, the remaining Chitauri will fall."
It was a good plan, in any case.
One general somersaulted down from her Leviathan, two staves in hand. She had blue skin, with cybernetic joints and one completely cybernetic arm. Her eyes took in the melee around her for a split second before diving in and starting to beat on seasoned Asgardian warriors with little difficulty. Natasha took one look at her style, lips thinning. "I can disable a cybernetic arm," she said in flat tones over the comm. "I've got her," she announced, as if she had spare ammunition for her pistols. But then, she was just as facile with her knives and the twin swords. She hadn't had any reason to use her Widow's Bites, thermal charges or electrocution discs until now. Those would come in handy against this general.
"I've got your six," Clint replied, falling in behind her.
Natasha snorted, the corner of her lips quirking into something almost like a smile. "As if you were going to let anyone else do it."
"Hey, we've trained together long enough and often enough I know what kind of backup you need." He gave her a smile and nodded toward his quiver. "And I seem to have gotten infinite ammo, so no worries on my account." As if to punctuate his statement, he retrieved an arrow, nocked it and fired it within two seconds, skewering a Chitauri general that probably wasn't connected to either neural net. The general snarled and bared his sharp teeth, but the blue-skinned woman ignored him as she stalked forward.
Natasha gave her twin swords a shake as she rolled her wrists. "In that case, I think we're ready to party."
***
Steve was startled by the explosion that rocked the ground when the second neural net was destroyed. He stumbled, and saw that Sif hadn't. She had braced herself against a possible impact, feet wide apart for balance with her knees bent. It reminded Steve of standing on a turbulent subway car. Chitauri fell this time, so Steve tapped his earpiece back into the "on" setting. "Hey, Jane. Got it. What do you see on your end?"
"There aren't any other signals that look like a neural net," she offered, "though the ones you found so far didn't give off readings like one. I still see a lot of things moving in the air and on the ground."
"Yeah, we're gonna have to take 'em out," Steve replied with a sigh.
Not having an earpiece, Sif merely shot Steve a questioning look. He pointed toward the Leviathans remaining in the air and then the staggering grounds-level foes that remained. She shot him a grim smile, then adjusted her grip in her sword before heading towards a few of the Chitauri that remained on the ground.
Steve followed, and it was easy to fall into a steady rhythm of fighting with Sif. Neither needed to really speak, and their styles seemed to dovetail nicely. The Chitauri fighters were vicious, but they didn't have the sheer numbers they used to. Without the foot soldiers, the Chitauri officers had to fight themselves. Their style was less fluid or coordinated, and Steve found them easy to knock down with his shield, punch or kick. Sif had offered him sword training earlier, and he was starting to regret turning her down. "There's something to sword fighting, huh?" he asked her, out of breath during a lull.
She merely grinned at him, though she was just as battle weary. "More elegant than your projectile weaponry," she replied.
"And can't run out of ammo," Steve agreed. "Not something I'm used to, though."
Sif grasped a sword from one of the fallen Asgardians nearby and handed it to him with a grim expression. "No need to delay training, then. You begin now, and the lessons will be that much more memorable."
Shaking his head ruefully, Steve adjusted his grip on the hilt. "No kidding. Let's do this, then."
***
Feeling out of sorts and close to death, Loki moved through the battlefield. Most of the Chitauri were immobilized, at least. He stopped short at the sight of one of Thanos' trusted generals decapitating a palace guard. He was tall, with dark skin and startlingly light eyes. His armor was metallic, resembling the anti-magic metal that had caused Loki so much grief. Those light eyes turned and he stopped short at the sight of Loki.
"Korath," he said, stretching his lips in a mockery of a gracious smile. "Not dead yet. Pity."
"The little liar," Korath intoned, lip curling in distaste. His eyes took in the braided leather, gold and runic armor. "So you live after all. You have displeased our master, and you know the penalty for failure."
"One you should have paid."
"Oh, I haven't displeased our master." He grinned, teeth bright white against the dark of his skin, eyes crinkling at the corners. "I've found quite the treasure for his trove."
The Infinity Gems.
Panic flared in Loki's chest, and he wanted to destroy Korath with his bare hands. Magic wouldn't touch him, not with that armor, not with those weapons. Spelled weapons wouldn't do any harm to him either.
"Oh, Horns, don't tell me you weren't going to share playmates," Tony called out, flying into place nearby. Loki was actually grateful to the braying human, but could never tell the mortal such a thing.
Even worse, the Hulk and Thor were close on his heels.
"Then by all means, do take care of this odious creature. Magic will not work on his weapons or armor," he added, as if it was a terrible bother.
Loki could almost imagine the wheels turning in his mind even as Tony lifted a palm and sent a repulsor blast toward Korath. The general flew backward nearly a hundred yards, his eyes widening comically as he was thrown. "Well." Even Tony sounded nonplused. "This ought to be interesting playtime."
Tony turned in the general direction of the Hulk. "Hey, Big Guy, this one's got anti-magic stuff on. You'd almost think he doesn't like Loki."
"Not nice," the Hulk growled, leaping into the fray. He swatted away a Chitauri officer, who landed half on a broken wall, its spine audibly snapping. It emitted a baleful cry, drawing the attention of nearby stragglers.
Thor hefted Mjolnir threateningly when Korath struggled to get to his feet. "Spells are ineffective against this foe. Let us defeat him," he told Loki. "There are others still to vanquish."
Loki nodded and took the out he was given. "There are other generals for Thanos, and the creature himself might be here to see his handiwork."
"We got this," Tony said, blasting a Chitauri soldier looking to climb onto the Hulk's back. The Hulk grunted his acknowledgement, then brought his fist down over the soldier's chest. In the background were other explosions and the sound of laser blasts. "Head on that way. Sounds like a general at work."
As much as Loki hated taking direction from others, the recommendation was sound. "He fights dirty," he told Tony, nodding in Korath's direction. "He claims an honorable nature, but he will take advantage of you."
Tony laughed as Mjolnir flew from Thor's hand and struck Korath in the solar plexus. The armor held, but Korath was once again knocked down. "I think we've got a few tricks up our sleeve."
Loki nodded and took off for the armory.
***
Natasha circled the blue-skinned woman with cybernetic implants. "Who are you?" she asked, not sure she would even get an answer. Knowing that Clint had her six meant that she could focus entirely on the woman, who had to keep her awareness split between Natasha, Clint, the environment around her and any additional potential opponents. Even so, Natasha didn't think she would have it so easy. Thanos wouldn't have weaklings as generals.
"You may refer to me as Nebula," the woman replied. "You are not of this world. Who are you?"
"Natasha Romanoff. I'm from Earth."
"That backwater?"
"It's home," Natasha answered without inflection. "What about you?"
Nebula fell into a fighter's crouch. "I come from everywhere and nowhere." At Natasha's questioning look, she laughed. It was a cruel, mocking sound. "Thanos is my grandfather," Nebula declared, arrogance in her tone. "We'll have all the Infinity Gems, and the universe will be ours to reshape."
It seemed to be a pretty standard Evil Overlord kind of plan, but Loki's description of Thanos had included a galaxy-sized ego. It seemed to be a crucial component of Thanos' persona, and something he had passed down to his granddaughter.
"And he courts the Lady Hel," Natasha replied. "I assume he would reshape things so that Hel is by his side."
Nebula snorted and bared her teeth. "Death will serve us."
Knowing Hel, that wasn't very likely at all, even in a reshaped universe. Natasha fell into a stance that mirrored Nebula's, twin swords in her hands. "Hel won't appreciate that," she told Nebula quietly. "She can't be owned or forced to do someone else's bidding."
"All will serve Thanos!" Nebula cried, surging forward with her staves.
Natasha parried the first attack with her left sword, swinging the right one around toward Nebula's torso. The second staff caught the blade and deflected it. Nebula's next strike was parried as well, but the shock of it reverberated up Natasha's blade and into her arm. The first priority would have to be disabling that cybernetic arm. Feinting toward the right, Natasha slid both swords into that hand and tossed one of her electroshock discs toward Nebula's cybernetic arm. The mercenary didn't realize what it was at first, and continued to push forward with her staves. Natasha was forced to fall to one knee when one staff struck her shoulder, but she swallowed the pain and lunged forward with the swords into the open space.
Scoring a direct hit to Nebula's torso as the disc took effect, Natasha watched as Nebula skittered back a few steps. It wasn't much, but it was something Natasha could work with. She spun one sword in a circle as she lunged forward with the other. Nebula was a hardened mercenary, however, and didn't let a little pain distract her. The cybernetic arm worked awkwardly at best now, but Nebula still knocked the spinning sword out of Natasha's hand with her staff. Natasha had to duck to avoid a strike to the head. She twisted and pushed off the ground as she kicked at Nebula's normal knee viciously. Nebula staggered back a step, allowing Natasha a little room to slap an electroshock disc onto the cybernetic parts of the other knee and lower leg. Nebula groaned in pain as her body spasmed.
Somewhere beyond the two of them, Clint had Natasha's six. She normally wouldn't ignore her surroundings, but could do so now, focusing entirely on Nebula. Coming in close didn't faze the mercenary in the slightest. She tossed aside her staff and snarled at Natasha. "You will still fall," Nebula told her. "Your death will be a grand prize."
"Maybe, but not for you," Natasha said sweetly as she grappled Nebula and flipped her over. Natasha completed her tumble even after Nebula hit the ground. "Hel doesn't want me yet. She'd rather I give her more souls first."
"But you don't serve Thanos," Nebula gasped, flipping up to her feet.
"I serve myself," Natasha replied, teeth bared.
The metal arm hurt when it slammed into her ribs, but Natasha knew how to swallow down pain and keep going. The healing would kick in sooner or later, so she could wait on checking her wounds. Clint hated that, and thought it was extraordinarily reckless of her. But her rib wasn't cracked, and there were more important things to worry about. Her electroshock discs indeed had short circuited the metallic limbs, but they were still somewhat functional. Nebula didn't seem to care that they were glitchy and didn't always follow her commands. She simply twisted her torso and swung the arm around as a counterweight, as if it was a Morningstar attached to her shoulder. How annoying.
Natasha caught Nebula's arm in her hands and attempted to swing the mercenary around in a wide circle. She stumbled, but didn't fall. Natasha pulled on the arm, but there was no yanking it out of its socket. That did force Nebula to have to twist away from Natasha, though she yanked a short dagger out of her waistband and buried it in Natasha's side. Teeth grit, Natasha moved past the pain to drive her knee into Nebula's chest. Then into her face a few times. Then for good measure, Natasha drove both of her Widow's bites into her head. The charges dispersed into the base of her skull, triggering a seizurelike reaction in Nebula. Eyes rolling up into the back of her head, Nebula collapsed to the ground.
"Holy crap," Clint said, letting loose an exploding arrow into the distance. "There's more of these guys coming in." He tapped his comm to relay that message for Jane. "Whatever else these generals were for, it wasn't maintaining a neural net."
Catching her breath, Natasha nodded and dropped to the ground beside Nebula. She cut bits of Nebula's clothing into strips to bind her wrists and ankles. "This will have to do until we find something better."
"We're only going to piss her off if she breaks free."
Natasha took out one of her own knives that Maeginbiorn had made for her. "Well, let's put her at a disadvantage, then, shall we?" She started prying at the plates and sensors in the arm, taking it apart systematically. Clint had to look away when she started prying at the cybernetic parts on Nebula's face and skull.
It was dirty and not pretty, but someone had to do it.
***
The ground shook violently as the Hulk crashed into it from nearly a hundred feet above. "Tell Bruce to be careful!" Jane cried into Tony's earpiece. "That seismic shock is screwing up my readings. Oh, and there's a school nearby."
"Good to see your priorities never change," Tony teased, flying in over the Hulk's position.
"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity," Jane huffed. "And besides, I'm not doing the fighting. I get to listen and do the math."
"And advance the field of theoretical physics by at least a decade or two." Tony peered through the rubble beneath the Hulk. It was difficult to see through the dust cloud and debris. "JARVIS, any life signs on Korath?"
"Affirmative, sir. He is attempting to use the dust as cover to evade your forces."
"Oh, we can't have that..." Tony began, holding out his hands. Using the repulsor blasts on a lower setting, he cleared the dust clouds from around the Hulk's feet. "Hey, Big Guy, there's a nasty little critter between your toes somewhere."
Thor in the meantime was using Mjolnir to strike down the remaining Chitauri officers or send them flying through the air. When they landed badly, they didn't get back up.
"Where is Thanos, foul creature?" Thor demanded as Hulk reached down to pick up Korath.
Though Korath gulped for air, his entire demeanor was one of defiance. "My lord Thanos will defeat you all and offer your souls to Lady Death."
Unimpressed, the Hulk began to shake Korath violently. He didn't bang him into the ground; the Hulk was aware of the situation enough to know that Korath likely wouldn't survive such treatment. "Answer!" the Hulk roared in Korath's face.
But the general merely grinned maniacally, blood from his split lips smearing over his teeth. "I will answer you this, mortal. You will die, and you will be given to Lady Death." He laughed and looked at Thor's discomfited expression. "Even you do not last forever, Asgardian. Death comes for you, too."
"You first," the Hulk spat, raising his fist. It was clear he intended to smash Korath into the ground, which would break every bone in his body.
"Nay, hold fast!" Thor boomed, holding out his hand. When the Hulk paused, Thor narrowed his eyes at Korath. "I have a better idea. Let us find my lady mother. She can work her spells, and Korath will tell us all we wish to know."
Korath's eyes widened almost comically. "That is not honorable!"
Thor stalked forward and lifted Korath's chin with Mjolnir in a threatening manner. "You have no honor. You and your treacherous men have slaughtered innocents, butchered our people, tricked others into aiding your cause. No, you have no honor. Spell work is too good for you, but it will have to do."
Tony let out a low whistle, then flew up into the air. "Glad you're on our side, Thor. Let me go and get your Mom. Maybe in the meantime, Blue Eyes here will feel like talking."
***
Steve was exhausted. There was the burn of muscles being worked to their limits, some shortness of breath, sweat causing his uniform and hair to stick to him. Sif was in the same position, at least, though she laughed like the warrior maiden she was. It was glorious to watch her in action, and Steve knew that his mimicry of her moves was still woefully inadequate. Still, he had already improved his sword technique greatly. She shot him a pleased smile and a nod, which made him feel a great sense of pride. He hadn't trained with a sword for years, but still received her approval.
And if he rather liked the sight of her smile for its own sake, he didn't have to mention it just yet.
Stopping to take a breather, Steve looked around at the devastated section of Asgard. "It's going to take a lot to rebuild."
Sif nodded, her pleased smile slipping into a grim expression. "But at least our people will have the opportunity to do so. If it were up to Thanos, none of us would survive."
Touching her arm in support, Steve gave her a half smile. "Good thing it's not, huh?"
"Aye," she replied, covering his hand with one of hers. She returned his smile as her fingers intertwined with his. "It is."
Now Steve's smile grew a shade embarrassed. He wanted to say something witty, but that had never been his forte around someone he liked. "Say, Sif-"
Her expectant expression darkened suddenly, and she pulled away. "Fire," she declared.
Steve turned around and looked in the direction she was staring at. "Do you know where that is?" he asked, awkwardness forgotten.
"The armory," she told him.
He tightened his grip on his sword and checked his shield on his arm. "Then let's go."
***
***
To chapter Six - Revelations