Wounds, 1/2. PG-13.
Title: Wounds
Series: #24 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, #12 - Can't Be Ignored, #13 - Make You Ill, #14 - Aim Straight, #15 - Not The First Time, #16 - Friendly Fire, #17 - Relieved, #18 - Release, #19 - Never Noticed, #20 - How You Live And Breathe, #21 - Love, #22 - Do You Wanna Die?, #23 - Many Ways)
Author: Eustacia Vye
Author's e-mail: eustacia_vye28@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-13 due to violence and language
Pairing: Loki/Natasha, Natasha/Bucky, Clint/Darcy
Disclaimer: Not mine! Some comic backstory is incorporated into characterizations, but this is still primarily movieverse.
Spoilers/Warnings: Post-Avengers, AU to the rest of MCU. References events in prior stories, PTSD, violence.
Title and series title from "The Royal We" by Silversun Pickups.
Summary: Planning and executing an attack against a magical vampire interested in devastating worlds... Yep. Another day in the world of our heroes.
One - Preparation
"You don't get it," Wanda told Carol. She was very unhappy at the thought of being sidelined in any upcoming battle against Selene. "Cosmic power is still a form of magic. She can drain it out of you, and then you'll be in the same place as all the magicians are. You can't fight a magic eater with magic."
Frustrated, Carol bared her teeth and growled. "So I'm useless? All this is hopeless?"
Wanda shook her head. "No. You just can't use magic to fight her directly."
"But I'm just about made of magic, then. If I hit her, she can drain it out of me."
"So we use the strength you have to launch physical attacks at her," Wanda reasoned. "She's vulnerable to physical attacks. When Loki cut her up with icicles when Natasha died, it was enough to get her to retreat."
"Then we need a way to lock her here."
"Exactly."
"Can you do that?"
Wanda shrugged. "I don't know. Frigga and Heimdall would have to leave Asgard vulnerable in order to help me here, but they might. And with the covens all together, maybe. I can do fate magic really well, better than they can."
"Fate magic?" Carol asked, skeptical.
Embarrassed, Wanda laughed a little. "A translation of spá that I learned on Asgard. I'm really good at it."
"Huh. So you can lock her in this plane of existence and then we pound the crap out of her?"
"Kinda?" Wanda said, unsure of herself.
Carol shrugged and gave her a fierce smile. "Sounds good to me. So we'll need all our nonmagical heavy hitters on this to pound on her. War Machine, Iron Man, Captain America, Hawkeye, Hulk, Black Widow... Does Thor count as magic?"
"He doesn't, but Mjolnir does."
"And you're magic."
"And Loki."
"Anybody you can rustle up from Asgard?"
"Sif would know which members of the guard could be spared. My brother Pietro was training with them, too."
"So we've got an army."
"Looks that way."
"Excellent," Carol said, giving her a fierce smile that unsettled her. "Let's get ready to rock."
***
Pietro Maximoff had gotten fairly muscular and far more self confident about his skills. Not only was he fast, but he was much stronger, hit harder, and knew how to fight as well as any of the royal guard. He and nearly thirty other warriors arrived at Avengers Tower, a welcome sight after another report from Jarvis about ten magic users around the world succumbing to strange illnesses and death. As soon as he saw his sister standing off to the side in a red dress, he broke ranks and rushed to her side. He swept her up easily, hugging her and kissing both cheeks. "My baby sister!" he cried. "It's good to be here!"
"Maximoff!" his commander boomed.
Looking contrite, Pietro put Wanda down and sheepishly looked over at the towering blond warrior. "Yes?"
"Introduce all of us," the man boomed. "Including your lovely sister."
Commander Aevir had worked with the castle guard for years, and was taller and broader than Thor. He was also pale skinned and blue eyed, and seemed to favor spears and the broadsword. He introduced the men in his company working with Pietro: Gansi, Almóðr, Haurr, Sigmundr, Hegri, Ráðmundr, Finngarðr, Eyjarr, Dvalinn, Ryggia, Mimmr, Ormi, Andvéttr, Eylir, Guðniótr, Haddr, Edvin, Gierni, Framarr, Gunnvarr, Sigvarðr, Torfi, Myndill, Agni and Nipingr. It was a tightly knit group of twenty-eight men under Aevir's command, all ready to battle with sword, spear, bow or fist. Commander Aevir bowed slightly before Thor and Sif, then smiled. "My Prince. Ambassador Sif. The petition for the Warriors Three to assist this realm has been approved by the Allfather, and they will also come to this realm's aid. The dangers were not fully discussed when we were dispatched, but all of us will fight with honor to bring prestige to our forefathers and realm."
Thor nodded regally and clapped Aevir on the shoulder. "Of course, Commander. We will outline the situation and plans so far to contain it.
Though there usually was plenty of space in the tower for all of the Avengers present, but it suddenly felt smaller with twenty-eight additional Asgardians in it. Natasha wasn't terribly surprised to see that Loki had decided not to spend time in the common areas as soon as they arrived, but was surprised by Steve's absence.
Leaving the area, she found the two of them in the gym sparring. Loki's entire expression was tight and distressed, Steve's was determined. Both had already broken out in a sweat, and the short sleeves of Loki's shirt revealed finger shaped bruises on his arm. She watched silently as the two men grappled, neither giving an inch, until Loki abruptly sagged in Steve's grip. As Steve worked to readjust, Loki brought his head up sharply, snapping it into Steve's jaw, then brought his elbow into Steve's ribs. Though Steve recovered relatively quickly, it still was enough of a pause for Loki to grasp his knee and pull, landing Steve on his back. "Point," Loki said, voice clipped.
"Tied, then," Steve said, nodding and getting to his feet. He caught sight of Natasha and nodded at her. "Should she join or judge?"
Loki's lips compressed further. "Neither. Do they send word? Do they agree with this ridiculous plan they've concocted?"
It was the first Natasha had heard about Loki's dissent with the plan. "Is something wrong with it? Everyone else seems to think it will work."
"They talk of isolating a realm as if it is baby magic," Loki spat. "Or unweaving a spá as if it a simple braid. An ordinary lifetime is difficult, let alone one as complicated at this creature's is." He turned away from Natasha, hands clenched. "Unweaving is a complicated task. It cannot be stopped once begun, else the backlash would be terrible. Control is required. Fortitude of a physical and mental sort."
"You don't think they have it," she realized. "You think they'll die in the attempt."
"Even the Sorcerer Supreme," Loki returned, turning back to face her, "is a mere mortal."
"Could you do it?"
His hands opened and closed, eyes sliding away from her. "No."
"Not alone, I wouldn't think," Steve said, grabbing a towel to wipe at his face and neck. "Not like the Essine Ruby. That one wiped you out a coupla times."
Loki nodded sharply, and Natasha wondered what it cost him to admit it to them.
"No one said that it had to be a single person doing the unweaving. Given the power and type of creature Selene is, I would think multiple people would have to do it at once." Natasha looked at Loki closely. "You and Wanda are the best bet, with Marissa and Dr. Strange protecting the two of you if the rest of us can't. Unless that's what you're afraid of. That something will happen to her, and the attempt will kill her."
"She's mortal," Loki scoffed. "A mere child. An annoyance."
"But you'll miss her if something happens." Natasha didn't smile when he met her eyes, a bleak expression in them. "That's why she needs you there, Loki. She might be good, but you've got the experience. You know what to do more than she does."
"If we fail, Selene will devour all of us," Loki murmured. "And the rest of Midgard is doomed."
She gave him a pitiful excuse of a smile, reaching out to grasp his arm in support. "Then we'd better not fail."
***
Heimdall and Frigga wove spells around Asgard tighter, sealing it off and blocking the sense of magical energies. It was a complicated weaving, drawing upon the foundation of the realm and its Runestaff. While they invited Wanda, Dr. Strange, Marissa and a handful of other magic practitioners from Earth to observe and potentially assist, most of them couldn't seem to see the shape of the spells, let alone comprehend it.
"It's on us, then," Wanda murmured, looking at Loki when she returned to the tower. "Because they're not coming to Earth to help us, are they?"
"They'll need to be present to seal the boundaries," Loki replied, not looking at her in the eye, instead pretending to read a scroll. "I believe there was talk about sealing other realms, too."
Wanda knocked the scroll from his hands. "It's going to be you and me keeping the Earth on lockdown. Can I do it, Loki? Tell me the truth."
He looked up at her, jaw clenched. "No."
She straightened, blinking in surprise. "Then why do they say I can?"
"Because they don't understand the strain it will have on you. This isn't theory, this isn't something on a small scale. To channel that much magic, to sustain it... You can't do it. It will kill you if you try."
"How do we make it so that I don't? Can Carol pump some of her cosmic energy into me? Because she was planning on slinging some stuff around with the others or using her strength to beat on Selene-"
"You will need to unweave the spá," Loki said abruptly. "You cannot keep the realm secure while you do that. The humans here won't be able to do it, either."
"But-"
"I'll do it," he told her brusquely. "I have power and skill enough to do it."
"By yourself?! It took Heimdall and Frigga together to do it for Asgard, which is way smaller than Earth, and it looked hard to do. You couldn't be there-"
"Enough!" Loki snapped, eyes blazing with anger. "You will unweave the spá, and those mortals will assist you if they can even read it. I will keep this realm secure."
Wanda gaped as Loki slashed the air beside him with an angry gesture, opening a portal to God-knew-where and stepping through it. The portal immediately shut after him, making it impossible for her to follow him. There were ways to trace the essence of portals, but she didn't know them and didn't think anyone else did.
She found Marissa, Stephen Strange, Olivia Ducat, Renard Luvoisier and Xeng Xaioping in one of the conference rooms. Several open tomes were on the desk, as well as heavy amulets suspended in the air between them. Wanda knew that the coven leaders had been invited to help trap Selene or try to combat her with magic despite the last disastrous attempt to do so. Carol understood Wanda's concern about the cosmic energy she had, but why didn't these magicians seem to grasp the concept?
Marissa saw her, and rose gracefully from the table when her portion of their silent study was complete. She nodded toward the doorway and approached Wanda. "There are several more steps to go before we can try another summoning."
"She's going to kill them. All of us with magic are at risk."
"You've done quite a bit to save the community," Marissa told her patiently. "You didn't expend that effort in vain."
"The others have a plan to physically attack her once she manifests. We need to let them do it. If we can focus on taking apart her spá instead, or reinforcing the boundaries of this world, she can't escape from it."
"They might have a plan, but it's a backup. We underestimated her magic abilities."
"She absorbs magic. You saw her breathe in Natasha's entire life in front of you! Others just dropped dead!" Wanda stared at Marissa in shock. "Don't you get it? She has obliterated other realms. There was no life left. We have to stop it."
Marissa's expression closed off. "And we will. I haven't lived so long just to give it up without a fight. The others will, too. When this is over, we can resume our studies."
As if nothing happened went without saying.
Frustrated, Wanda nodded at her and spun on her heel to find the Asgardian warriors. They at least didn't dismiss her out of hand like an idiot child. There wasn't a lot she could do there to assist them, but they all respected and feared her gift. "Magic is the provenance of women," one of them had said. He had darker hair and eyes so brown they were practically black. Wanda couldn't remember his name. "It is fearsome, and it will take trickery to defeat the trickery of this monstrous being that would destroy Midgard."
According to Natasha's eyeroll at the time he said it, apparently society on Asgard hadn't shifted quite enough to her liking. But at least they didn't dismiss Wanda or her concerns.
"What are you thinking?" Pietro asked, seeing her wander in with a disconcerted expression.
"The other magic users are going to die," she said flatly. "They're not listening to me."
"So fuck 'em," Pietro told her succinctly, shrugging. "They never cared for Roma before, never thought to consider your magic. So do it yourself."
"It will kill me."
That gave Pietro pause. "Carol and Rhodey were in here before, talking with Commander Aevir, Thor and the Warriors Three. They were making a list of skills and how to arrange everyone around the spot where Selene should be summoned. But Carol, she has magic. She doesn't feel the way you do, but she has magic. Can she give it to you?"
Wanda blinked. "I don't know."
"Because she was talking about hand to hand attacks or piloting a ship. We could work the plan with one less if she can give you her magic."
"What if it's impossible?"
"You control fate," Pietro told her simply. "How is it impossible?" He shrugged and looked at her pointedly. "Those old people think so small, so precisely. They don't think of what you can do, only what you can't. You broke through time and space to talk to me, to show me our parents and unlock memories I thought were gone. Why is this different?"
Looking at him, she nodded. "You're right."
"Of course I am. This is why you should always listen to me."
She pushed his shoulder and laughed in his smug face. "Carol isn't in here."
"She was meeting with the Avengers. They are all going to fight."
Wanda hugged Pietro tightly, and he returned it just as tightly. "You stay safe. If you die, I'll go to Helheim to kill you again myself."
"I'm not going anywhere. Who else will I trust to protect my baby sister?"
Huffing in annoyance, she got up and went off in search of Carol.
***
"Okay, wait, you want to what?!" Carol asked incredulously, staring at Wanda. The blonde had been in a room with Tony, Pepper, Rhodey, Clint, Sam, Steve, James, and Natasha; Thor and the Warriors Three had stopped by earlier, but were mostly conferring with the Asgardian warriors. They were largely melee fighters, so the Avengers were going to have to work the ranged weapon option when Selene showed up.
"I'm going to need energy. To rip apart someone's fate." Wanda stared at Carol, willing her to believe that Wanda was calm and confident about this. "So I'll need you to give me the cosmic energy you have."
"By shooting you."
"Sort of. It'll be a specific pattern to fuel the spell casting as I draw in energy."
"How is unweaving drawing in energy?" Natasha asked, brows furrowed in confusion. "Maybe we should ask Loki how that would work."
"I haven't seen him in a while," Wanda admitted. "But I should be able to set up something that will work."
"Should be," Rhodey pointed out, eyebrows creeping up toward his hairline.
"When he took apart stuff before," Tony said with a frown, "he described it as an unweaving. And he looked completely wiped out. Doing that took him days without eating or drinking, he was a wobbly and moody mess..." He looked over at Wanda. "No offense, kid, but I don't know if you can take the same kind of abuse."
Something hardened in her expression. "The Baron made sure we could."
Tony pressed his lips together unhappy at the reminder that she had been kidnapped and experimented on since early childhood. Pepper sighed and patted his arm in that "good going, jerk," kind of way that she had. Her eyes strayed over to Natasha, the only other person in the room who could understand what Wanda was feeling.
"Is it safe for you to do it?" Natasha ask, eyebrow lofted. "I've seen Loki put himself through the wringer for magic, but a lot of times with preparation that can be minimized."
"I'm glad someone thinks I'm capable of this," Wanda muttered.
"You wanting to do it and being capable are separate from your safety," Natasha replied. "Which you still haven't answered."
"In theory, I should be able to transform energy that I get so that I can do the unweaving and not die of starvation or thirst. There are transmutation spells I studied in Frigga's library that are a specialized form of the spá, and that's my specialty."
"But I thought you were going to lock down the realm?" Steve asked in confusion. Beside him, James nodded and looked concerned.
"Loki's going to do that. By himself."
"Is that possible?" Carol asked, looking at her in concern.
"I didn't think so. Heimdall and Frigga have to do the other realms..." She noticed Natasha looking over her shoulder, brows creased in concentration. "What is it?"
Everyone else turned to look in the direction Natasha was looking in. The air had a transparent shimmer, rather like hot air over concrete, roughly the size of a doorway. Reality seemed to warp, as if it was drawn backward and away from them, space pulled through a funnel. It seemed to catch and hold for a few seconds before being pushed forward, toward them, rippling tendrils of reality reaching outward before arcing away and leaving a hole in its wake. The hole widened quickly, revealing what looked like a silver road beneath a dark void with a scattering of stars. Walking toward them on the road was Loki, dressed in the same jeans and green Asgardian tunic he had been wearing the last time Wanda saw him. There were tears on the sleeves and across one knee, and he was no longer wearing his black leather boots. Now he was barefoot, splashes of something dark and viscous across his feet and the bottoms of his jeans.
And on his hands were ten jeweled rings.
Knowing full well what this meant, Natasha, Clint, Tony and Steve shot to their feet, agitation clear on their faces. The others didn't know what it would mean, and were confused.
"I will hold this realm," Loki said. There was an odd resonance to his voice, not quite like an echo, and he cast fevered eyes at Natasha. "It's my home now, is it not?"
"Yes," she said softly. "Come here, Loki."
Loki stepped forward, off of the silver road, fully into the conference room of the tower. The portal behind him immediately snapped shut with a slight popping sound as the displaced air rushed back into place. He grasped Natasha's outstretched hand, and it sounded like static electricity at his touch.
"Can you handle this?" she asked in concern, lifting her other hand to cup his cheek. The softness in her eyes was oddly intimate, making Rhodey and Carol look away uncomfortably, as if this was a moment they shouldn't have been privy to.
"For you, I will. To save the few lives I value."
"I remember my promise if you can't."
His lips stretched back in a sickly, rictus grin. "Good. I hold you to it."
"And that means using the safe word if you can't handle it, Loki," she told him firmly in her domme voice. "I mean it. No heroics, no trying to burn yourself out if you can't. If you're starting to slip and it looks like I haven't noticed it yet, tell me so we can stop it."
"It's addictive," Loki replied. "It vies for your attention."
Natasha snapped her fingers as his eyes seemed to glaze over a bit. "Focus."
He blinked, and then nodded. "Yes. Yes, I remember. Do not get lost as she did. I will start the preparations to protect the realm."
Wanda looked to Natasha fearfully as Loki left the meeting room. "Um... We should be very afraid, shouldn't we?"
She looked after him, a thoughtful expression on her face. "We'll keep an eye on him. But I think we're going to have to do this sooner rather than later."
Steve stood up. "Well, then. Let's suit up and get this started."
***
Loki was drowning in magic and blood.
He could feel power crawling beneath his skin, a sickly restlessness that wouldn't allow him to stay still and rest. The shapes of runes pressed against his eyelids, shattered spells moving through his gut like crawling worms. He might have said something, though he couldn't tell what language it was. Perhaps it was the tongue of Yggdrasil itself, the speech of magic and mystery, fate and time and space, infinity itself.
And then came a fist to the jaw, knocking him back a step.
The fist was metal, and the hiss of exhaust and cooling plates greeted Loki's ears once his eyes refocused on the day and time and place he was physically present in. James was there, hair neat and eyes clear but concerned, jaw set. He wore a simple shirt and jeans, nothing that told Loki anything about what was happening.
"The magic guys are doing their thing downtown," he said. "I don't think you're still doing the preparing you were meaning to do," James added, eyeing Loki.
"Why do you say that?" Loki asked. He could feel concern emanating from James, from Natasha in her suite. It wasn't fear; they didn't fear him, exactly, but worried that he would be lost to this, that he couldn't contain the magic or madness. It wasn't meant for Jotnar to wield, wasn't meant for anyone sane. How Amora managed to craft these or even survive wearing them was a mystery. Unless housing them on Yggdrasil in the dragon bone cage had strengthened them. An eternity to charge them up, and his incomplete vessel to wield its might.
Thwap! This time, it was only a slap to the face.
"'Cause you keep doing that. You're losing focus, Loki. You're gonna have to get some help to channel this power."
Jealous rage threatened to burn through him, but neither James nor Natasha cared anything for the rings. In fact, he knew they wanted him to take them off. Still, his lips drew back in a snarl that James matched him for, eyes flashing.
"I don't know what magic does to people, but I can tell this is fuckin' bullshit, man. Look, Steve said last time you siphoned off some power to make protection bracelets. Do something like that if you have to. There's more of us now, and we need protection from Selene badly."
Oh. Yes. That was easy. Loki could do that with little effort at all, and in fact was starting to pull the magic out of him. There were the threads being woven into intricate runes via impossibly tiny knots, then larger ones, then a patterned weave that was actually quite beautiful to look at, iridescent colors reminding him of Yggdrasil itself. There was so much magic here, so much power, he didn't bother to do a count of people fighting Selene and subtract the prior bracelets he had made. Twenty-eight Asgardian warriors and their commander, plus the others, and it was easy enough for him to round up and then even double it. Two for them all, double the wards of protection, sure to render them all safe.
James was staring at him agog, because he was not a creature of magic. He was a creature of flesh and blood and metal, born and then crafted. Natasha, his beautiful and clever and lovely Natasha, she had magic woven into her bones now, the gifts he and Hel had given her part of her flesh now. Any child she bore, if she chose to do so, would be able to handle the gift of magic, if any such child inherited a gift.
And as he worked, it was easy to slip sideways and see the shape of Yggdrasil, the gauzy branches of other worlds and times. Loki could see the other self that was married to Natasha, their son tall and straight, with dark hair and green eyes, quick wit and quicker movement. He had magic, this child, able to manipulate runes and seidr with ease. Yet there were other realities where the child was a girl, fiery red hair and blue eyes, lithe and athletic, with a sharp mind able to best even Loki himself. Or redheaded boys with fire in their bellies, the need to prove he was more than the sum of his parents, that he was worthy of being a Young Avenger, of being a hero and saving others.
"I think that's enough," Natasha said from the doorway. Her voice was stern, and she was drawn to the vortex of magic Loki was standing in.
"I see everything," Loki whispered, eyes intent on Yggdrasil.
"But not what's right in front of you," she replied tartly.
Just like that, the words brought him back to his body, to the taste of blood in his mouth, to the twisting bracelets still suspended in air, to James' concern for him. The body aches settled in next, soreness from holding himself so rigidly. "Oh," he murmured, feeling his body collapse in on itself suddenly. James caught him, touch gentle and careful.
"I assume the foundations for locking down Earth are set."
"And protection spells. And wards. And charms..."
"So sleep, Loki," Natasha murmured, her hands cool on the fevered skin of his face. How was he burning up? "Rest. Let us take care of you, okay? You're taking care of us, and now it's our turn to take care of you."
It sounded so good, and there was genuine caring in her expression. He couldn't help but search her face as he leaned up to kiss her hungrily. "You love me, don't you? As you love him? As you care for all your mortal friends?"
Her lips curled into something like a sad smile. "Yes, Loki. I do love you. Now sleep."
It was shock as well as contentment that fell over him. She said the words? Truly?
Smiling up at her, Loki let himself fall asleep in James' arms.
***
The Avengers and Commander Aevir met in a conference room; Aevir had declined to let his men sit in on the conference, but Pietro ran in faster than anyone could see and sat beside his sister under an invisibility spell. Natasha's eyes may have flicked there once, lips twitching in amusement, but she met Wanda's gaze head on and didn't say a word. She was grateful to her for not saying anything, and kept Pietro's hand tightly in hers. Prior to their separate training, they had always been together. It had almost grown comfortable, and now it was odd having him about the tower.
Wanda was supposed to be the go between for them and the other spell casters, but she felt closer to this group. Doctor Strange thought they would be able to cast the summoning and locking spells, then let Wanda do her unweaving while the others attacked and drew her attention. They would focus on the containment spells, Loki would lock down Midgard in case Selene did escape them. Wanda gave up trying to tell them that the containment spells were useless, and that Selene would simply smash through them like before.
"They want to do this in a less populated place," Wanda began when she had their attention. "It would be possible to do this in the Sanctum Sanctorum, but if gets loose or if the physical attacks are too large in scale, there are going to be casualties."
"Are there sacred places not in urban sprawls?" Clint asked.
"I suppose. We could always trace out the ley lines and try to find spots that possess a lot of natural energy that should help. I'd avoid the Vile Vortices-" At everyone's blank looks in her direction, Wanda stopped and shrugged. "Bad places, where all the negative energy seems to collect. The Bermuda Triangle or the Devil's Desert. So we'd want to pick a place with better energy to it, but where it's easy to travel to."
"What do you mean, easy to travel to? We have jets and flying armor?" Tony asked.
"If a positive energy spot is over the ocean, it's not going to work," Wanda replied, making Tony snap his mouth shut and nod. "They didn't settle on a particular location yet, but some would likely be easier than others. Sedona, Arizona, Tibet or Australia were their votes. Giza or major cities would be a terrible idea. It's probably why it didn't work last time, because of the size of New York."
"I might have property near Sedona, if that helps," Tony offered. He looked a little self conscious when everyone stared at him. "It's still hot there this time of year. I liked how the red rocks in the area looked." He made a swirling hand gesture. "You know. Calming. Peaceful. Made me less likely to drink so much. I kind of haven't thought about it since Afghanistan."
"I'll let the others know, then," Wanda offered. "That would be our likely place to start. The desert should also be less populated." She dug into her phone and called Marissa; no one wanted to speak in the room as she spoke to the witch. Even when she hung up a few moments later, the others remained quiet. "It looks like they want it as close to Devil's Bridge as possible."
"And that doesn't sound ominous at all," Clint snarked as a few of the others in the room exchanged worried glances.
"I promise, it just sounds bad. The devil card in Tarot just signifies change," she added, hoping to be helpful. Carol at least seemed convinced. Natasha seemed willing to go along with whatever she said about magic.
"Well, we're certainly looking to make a change," Tony quipped, pasting a grin on his face. "And with Horns locking down Earth to outsiders after she comes in, Devil's Bridge sounds about right to me."
There were groans at his bad joke and Pepper even swatted his arm. But it looked like the planning was over. Now it would be time to begin.
***
***
To Chapter Two - The Devil's Bridge
Series: #24 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, #12 - Can't Be Ignored, #13 - Make You Ill, #14 - Aim Straight, #15 - Not The First Time, #16 - Friendly Fire, #17 - Relieved, #18 - Release, #19 - Never Noticed, #20 - How You Live And Breathe, #21 - Love, #22 - Do You Wanna Die?, #23 - Many Ways)
Author: Eustacia Vye
Author's e-mail: eustacia_vye28@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-13 due to violence and language
Pairing: Loki/Natasha, Natasha/Bucky, Clint/Darcy
Disclaimer: Not mine! Some comic backstory is incorporated into characterizations, but this is still primarily movieverse.
Spoilers/Warnings: Post-Avengers, AU to the rest of MCU. References events in prior stories, PTSD, violence.
Title and series title from "The Royal We" by Silversun Pickups.
Summary: Planning and executing an attack against a magical vampire interested in devastating worlds... Yep. Another day in the world of our heroes.
One - Preparation
"You don't get it," Wanda told Carol. She was very unhappy at the thought of being sidelined in any upcoming battle against Selene. "Cosmic power is still a form of magic. She can drain it out of you, and then you'll be in the same place as all the magicians are. You can't fight a magic eater with magic."
Frustrated, Carol bared her teeth and growled. "So I'm useless? All this is hopeless?"
Wanda shook her head. "No. You just can't use magic to fight her directly."
"But I'm just about made of magic, then. If I hit her, she can drain it out of me."
"So we use the strength you have to launch physical attacks at her," Wanda reasoned. "She's vulnerable to physical attacks. When Loki cut her up with icicles when Natasha died, it was enough to get her to retreat."
"Then we need a way to lock her here."
"Exactly."
"Can you do that?"
Wanda shrugged. "I don't know. Frigga and Heimdall would have to leave Asgard vulnerable in order to help me here, but they might. And with the covens all together, maybe. I can do fate magic really well, better than they can."
"Fate magic?" Carol asked, skeptical.
Embarrassed, Wanda laughed a little. "A translation of spá that I learned on Asgard. I'm really good at it."
"Huh. So you can lock her in this plane of existence and then we pound the crap out of her?"
"Kinda?" Wanda said, unsure of herself.
Carol shrugged and gave her a fierce smile. "Sounds good to me. So we'll need all our nonmagical heavy hitters on this to pound on her. War Machine, Iron Man, Captain America, Hawkeye, Hulk, Black Widow... Does Thor count as magic?"
"He doesn't, but Mjolnir does."
"And you're magic."
"And Loki."
"Anybody you can rustle up from Asgard?"
"Sif would know which members of the guard could be spared. My brother Pietro was training with them, too."
"So we've got an army."
"Looks that way."
"Excellent," Carol said, giving her a fierce smile that unsettled her. "Let's get ready to rock."
***
Pietro Maximoff had gotten fairly muscular and far more self confident about his skills. Not only was he fast, but he was much stronger, hit harder, and knew how to fight as well as any of the royal guard. He and nearly thirty other warriors arrived at Avengers Tower, a welcome sight after another report from Jarvis about ten magic users around the world succumbing to strange illnesses and death. As soon as he saw his sister standing off to the side in a red dress, he broke ranks and rushed to her side. He swept her up easily, hugging her and kissing both cheeks. "My baby sister!" he cried. "It's good to be here!"
"Maximoff!" his commander boomed.
Looking contrite, Pietro put Wanda down and sheepishly looked over at the towering blond warrior. "Yes?"
"Introduce all of us," the man boomed. "Including your lovely sister."
Commander Aevir had worked with the castle guard for years, and was taller and broader than Thor. He was also pale skinned and blue eyed, and seemed to favor spears and the broadsword. He introduced the men in his company working with Pietro: Gansi, Almóðr, Haurr, Sigmundr, Hegri, Ráðmundr, Finngarðr, Eyjarr, Dvalinn, Ryggia, Mimmr, Ormi, Andvéttr, Eylir, Guðniótr, Haddr, Edvin, Gierni, Framarr, Gunnvarr, Sigvarðr, Torfi, Myndill, Agni and Nipingr. It was a tightly knit group of twenty-eight men under Aevir's command, all ready to battle with sword, spear, bow or fist. Commander Aevir bowed slightly before Thor and Sif, then smiled. "My Prince. Ambassador Sif. The petition for the Warriors Three to assist this realm has been approved by the Allfather, and they will also come to this realm's aid. The dangers were not fully discussed when we were dispatched, but all of us will fight with honor to bring prestige to our forefathers and realm."
Thor nodded regally and clapped Aevir on the shoulder. "Of course, Commander. We will outline the situation and plans so far to contain it.
Though there usually was plenty of space in the tower for all of the Avengers present, but it suddenly felt smaller with twenty-eight additional Asgardians in it. Natasha wasn't terribly surprised to see that Loki had decided not to spend time in the common areas as soon as they arrived, but was surprised by Steve's absence.
Leaving the area, she found the two of them in the gym sparring. Loki's entire expression was tight and distressed, Steve's was determined. Both had already broken out in a sweat, and the short sleeves of Loki's shirt revealed finger shaped bruises on his arm. She watched silently as the two men grappled, neither giving an inch, until Loki abruptly sagged in Steve's grip. As Steve worked to readjust, Loki brought his head up sharply, snapping it into Steve's jaw, then brought his elbow into Steve's ribs. Though Steve recovered relatively quickly, it still was enough of a pause for Loki to grasp his knee and pull, landing Steve on his back. "Point," Loki said, voice clipped.
"Tied, then," Steve said, nodding and getting to his feet. He caught sight of Natasha and nodded at her. "Should she join or judge?"
Loki's lips compressed further. "Neither. Do they send word? Do they agree with this ridiculous plan they've concocted?"
It was the first Natasha had heard about Loki's dissent with the plan. "Is something wrong with it? Everyone else seems to think it will work."
"They talk of isolating a realm as if it is baby magic," Loki spat. "Or unweaving a spá as if it a simple braid. An ordinary lifetime is difficult, let alone one as complicated at this creature's is." He turned away from Natasha, hands clenched. "Unweaving is a complicated task. It cannot be stopped once begun, else the backlash would be terrible. Control is required. Fortitude of a physical and mental sort."
"You don't think they have it," she realized. "You think they'll die in the attempt."
"Even the Sorcerer Supreme," Loki returned, turning back to face her, "is a mere mortal."
"Could you do it?"
His hands opened and closed, eyes sliding away from her. "No."
"Not alone, I wouldn't think," Steve said, grabbing a towel to wipe at his face and neck. "Not like the Essine Ruby. That one wiped you out a coupla times."
Loki nodded sharply, and Natasha wondered what it cost him to admit it to them.
"No one said that it had to be a single person doing the unweaving. Given the power and type of creature Selene is, I would think multiple people would have to do it at once." Natasha looked at Loki closely. "You and Wanda are the best bet, with Marissa and Dr. Strange protecting the two of you if the rest of us can't. Unless that's what you're afraid of. That something will happen to her, and the attempt will kill her."
"She's mortal," Loki scoffed. "A mere child. An annoyance."
"But you'll miss her if something happens." Natasha didn't smile when he met her eyes, a bleak expression in them. "That's why she needs you there, Loki. She might be good, but you've got the experience. You know what to do more than she does."
"If we fail, Selene will devour all of us," Loki murmured. "And the rest of Midgard is doomed."
She gave him a pitiful excuse of a smile, reaching out to grasp his arm in support. "Then we'd better not fail."
***
Heimdall and Frigga wove spells around Asgard tighter, sealing it off and blocking the sense of magical energies. It was a complicated weaving, drawing upon the foundation of the realm and its Runestaff. While they invited Wanda, Dr. Strange, Marissa and a handful of other magic practitioners from Earth to observe and potentially assist, most of them couldn't seem to see the shape of the spells, let alone comprehend it.
"It's on us, then," Wanda murmured, looking at Loki when she returned to the tower. "Because they're not coming to Earth to help us, are they?"
"They'll need to be present to seal the boundaries," Loki replied, not looking at her in the eye, instead pretending to read a scroll. "I believe there was talk about sealing other realms, too."
Wanda knocked the scroll from his hands. "It's going to be you and me keeping the Earth on lockdown. Can I do it, Loki? Tell me the truth."
He looked up at her, jaw clenched. "No."
She straightened, blinking in surprise. "Then why do they say I can?"
"Because they don't understand the strain it will have on you. This isn't theory, this isn't something on a small scale. To channel that much magic, to sustain it... You can't do it. It will kill you if you try."
"How do we make it so that I don't? Can Carol pump some of her cosmic energy into me? Because she was planning on slinging some stuff around with the others or using her strength to beat on Selene-"
"You will need to unweave the spá," Loki said abruptly. "You cannot keep the realm secure while you do that. The humans here won't be able to do it, either."
"But-"
"I'll do it," he told her brusquely. "I have power and skill enough to do it."
"By yourself?! It took Heimdall and Frigga together to do it for Asgard, which is way smaller than Earth, and it looked hard to do. You couldn't be there-"
"Enough!" Loki snapped, eyes blazing with anger. "You will unweave the spá, and those mortals will assist you if they can even read it. I will keep this realm secure."
Wanda gaped as Loki slashed the air beside him with an angry gesture, opening a portal to God-knew-where and stepping through it. The portal immediately shut after him, making it impossible for her to follow him. There were ways to trace the essence of portals, but she didn't know them and didn't think anyone else did.
She found Marissa, Stephen Strange, Olivia Ducat, Renard Luvoisier and Xeng Xaioping in one of the conference rooms. Several open tomes were on the desk, as well as heavy amulets suspended in the air between them. Wanda knew that the coven leaders had been invited to help trap Selene or try to combat her with magic despite the last disastrous attempt to do so. Carol understood Wanda's concern about the cosmic energy she had, but why didn't these magicians seem to grasp the concept?
Marissa saw her, and rose gracefully from the table when her portion of their silent study was complete. She nodded toward the doorway and approached Wanda. "There are several more steps to go before we can try another summoning."
"She's going to kill them. All of us with magic are at risk."
"You've done quite a bit to save the community," Marissa told her patiently. "You didn't expend that effort in vain."
"The others have a plan to physically attack her once she manifests. We need to let them do it. If we can focus on taking apart her spá instead, or reinforcing the boundaries of this world, she can't escape from it."
"They might have a plan, but it's a backup. We underestimated her magic abilities."
"She absorbs magic. You saw her breathe in Natasha's entire life in front of you! Others just dropped dead!" Wanda stared at Marissa in shock. "Don't you get it? She has obliterated other realms. There was no life left. We have to stop it."
Marissa's expression closed off. "And we will. I haven't lived so long just to give it up without a fight. The others will, too. When this is over, we can resume our studies."
As if nothing happened went without saying.
Frustrated, Wanda nodded at her and spun on her heel to find the Asgardian warriors. They at least didn't dismiss her out of hand like an idiot child. There wasn't a lot she could do there to assist them, but they all respected and feared her gift. "Magic is the provenance of women," one of them had said. He had darker hair and eyes so brown they were practically black. Wanda couldn't remember his name. "It is fearsome, and it will take trickery to defeat the trickery of this monstrous being that would destroy Midgard."
According to Natasha's eyeroll at the time he said it, apparently society on Asgard hadn't shifted quite enough to her liking. But at least they didn't dismiss Wanda or her concerns.
"What are you thinking?" Pietro asked, seeing her wander in with a disconcerted expression.
"The other magic users are going to die," she said flatly. "They're not listening to me."
"So fuck 'em," Pietro told her succinctly, shrugging. "They never cared for Roma before, never thought to consider your magic. So do it yourself."
"It will kill me."
That gave Pietro pause. "Carol and Rhodey were in here before, talking with Commander Aevir, Thor and the Warriors Three. They were making a list of skills and how to arrange everyone around the spot where Selene should be summoned. But Carol, she has magic. She doesn't feel the way you do, but she has magic. Can she give it to you?"
Wanda blinked. "I don't know."
"Because she was talking about hand to hand attacks or piloting a ship. We could work the plan with one less if she can give you her magic."
"What if it's impossible?"
"You control fate," Pietro told her simply. "How is it impossible?" He shrugged and looked at her pointedly. "Those old people think so small, so precisely. They don't think of what you can do, only what you can't. You broke through time and space to talk to me, to show me our parents and unlock memories I thought were gone. Why is this different?"
Looking at him, she nodded. "You're right."
"Of course I am. This is why you should always listen to me."
She pushed his shoulder and laughed in his smug face. "Carol isn't in here."
"She was meeting with the Avengers. They are all going to fight."
Wanda hugged Pietro tightly, and he returned it just as tightly. "You stay safe. If you die, I'll go to Helheim to kill you again myself."
"I'm not going anywhere. Who else will I trust to protect my baby sister?"
Huffing in annoyance, she got up and went off in search of Carol.
***
"Okay, wait, you want to what?!" Carol asked incredulously, staring at Wanda. The blonde had been in a room with Tony, Pepper, Rhodey, Clint, Sam, Steve, James, and Natasha; Thor and the Warriors Three had stopped by earlier, but were mostly conferring with the Asgardian warriors. They were largely melee fighters, so the Avengers were going to have to work the ranged weapon option when Selene showed up.
"I'm going to need energy. To rip apart someone's fate." Wanda stared at Carol, willing her to believe that Wanda was calm and confident about this. "So I'll need you to give me the cosmic energy you have."
"By shooting you."
"Sort of. It'll be a specific pattern to fuel the spell casting as I draw in energy."
"How is unweaving drawing in energy?" Natasha asked, brows furrowed in confusion. "Maybe we should ask Loki how that would work."
"I haven't seen him in a while," Wanda admitted. "But I should be able to set up something that will work."
"Should be," Rhodey pointed out, eyebrows creeping up toward his hairline.
"When he took apart stuff before," Tony said with a frown, "he described it as an unweaving. And he looked completely wiped out. Doing that took him days without eating or drinking, he was a wobbly and moody mess..." He looked over at Wanda. "No offense, kid, but I don't know if you can take the same kind of abuse."
Something hardened in her expression. "The Baron made sure we could."
Tony pressed his lips together unhappy at the reminder that she had been kidnapped and experimented on since early childhood. Pepper sighed and patted his arm in that "good going, jerk," kind of way that she had. Her eyes strayed over to Natasha, the only other person in the room who could understand what Wanda was feeling.
"Is it safe for you to do it?" Natasha ask, eyebrow lofted. "I've seen Loki put himself through the wringer for magic, but a lot of times with preparation that can be minimized."
"I'm glad someone thinks I'm capable of this," Wanda muttered.
"You wanting to do it and being capable are separate from your safety," Natasha replied. "Which you still haven't answered."
"In theory, I should be able to transform energy that I get so that I can do the unweaving and not die of starvation or thirst. There are transmutation spells I studied in Frigga's library that are a specialized form of the spá, and that's my specialty."
"But I thought you were going to lock down the realm?" Steve asked in confusion. Beside him, James nodded and looked concerned.
"Loki's going to do that. By himself."
"Is that possible?" Carol asked, looking at her in concern.
"I didn't think so. Heimdall and Frigga have to do the other realms..." She noticed Natasha looking over her shoulder, brows creased in concentration. "What is it?"
Everyone else turned to look in the direction Natasha was looking in. The air had a transparent shimmer, rather like hot air over concrete, roughly the size of a doorway. Reality seemed to warp, as if it was drawn backward and away from them, space pulled through a funnel. It seemed to catch and hold for a few seconds before being pushed forward, toward them, rippling tendrils of reality reaching outward before arcing away and leaving a hole in its wake. The hole widened quickly, revealing what looked like a silver road beneath a dark void with a scattering of stars. Walking toward them on the road was Loki, dressed in the same jeans and green Asgardian tunic he had been wearing the last time Wanda saw him. There were tears on the sleeves and across one knee, and he was no longer wearing his black leather boots. Now he was barefoot, splashes of something dark and viscous across his feet and the bottoms of his jeans.
And on his hands were ten jeweled rings.
Knowing full well what this meant, Natasha, Clint, Tony and Steve shot to their feet, agitation clear on their faces. The others didn't know what it would mean, and were confused.
"I will hold this realm," Loki said. There was an odd resonance to his voice, not quite like an echo, and he cast fevered eyes at Natasha. "It's my home now, is it not?"
"Yes," she said softly. "Come here, Loki."
Loki stepped forward, off of the silver road, fully into the conference room of the tower. The portal behind him immediately snapped shut with a slight popping sound as the displaced air rushed back into place. He grasped Natasha's outstretched hand, and it sounded like static electricity at his touch.
"Can you handle this?" she asked in concern, lifting her other hand to cup his cheek. The softness in her eyes was oddly intimate, making Rhodey and Carol look away uncomfortably, as if this was a moment they shouldn't have been privy to.
"For you, I will. To save the few lives I value."
"I remember my promise if you can't."
His lips stretched back in a sickly, rictus grin. "Good. I hold you to it."
"And that means using the safe word if you can't handle it, Loki," she told him firmly in her domme voice. "I mean it. No heroics, no trying to burn yourself out if you can't. If you're starting to slip and it looks like I haven't noticed it yet, tell me so we can stop it."
"It's addictive," Loki replied. "It vies for your attention."
Natasha snapped her fingers as his eyes seemed to glaze over a bit. "Focus."
He blinked, and then nodded. "Yes. Yes, I remember. Do not get lost as she did. I will start the preparations to protect the realm."
Wanda looked to Natasha fearfully as Loki left the meeting room. "Um... We should be very afraid, shouldn't we?"
She looked after him, a thoughtful expression on her face. "We'll keep an eye on him. But I think we're going to have to do this sooner rather than later."
Steve stood up. "Well, then. Let's suit up and get this started."
***
Loki was drowning in magic and blood.
He could feel power crawling beneath his skin, a sickly restlessness that wouldn't allow him to stay still and rest. The shapes of runes pressed against his eyelids, shattered spells moving through his gut like crawling worms. He might have said something, though he couldn't tell what language it was. Perhaps it was the tongue of Yggdrasil itself, the speech of magic and mystery, fate and time and space, infinity itself.
And then came a fist to the jaw, knocking him back a step.
The fist was metal, and the hiss of exhaust and cooling plates greeted Loki's ears once his eyes refocused on the day and time and place he was physically present in. James was there, hair neat and eyes clear but concerned, jaw set. He wore a simple shirt and jeans, nothing that told Loki anything about what was happening.
"The magic guys are doing their thing downtown," he said. "I don't think you're still doing the preparing you were meaning to do," James added, eyeing Loki.
"Why do you say that?" Loki asked. He could feel concern emanating from James, from Natasha in her suite. It wasn't fear; they didn't fear him, exactly, but worried that he would be lost to this, that he couldn't contain the magic or madness. It wasn't meant for Jotnar to wield, wasn't meant for anyone sane. How Amora managed to craft these or even survive wearing them was a mystery. Unless housing them on Yggdrasil in the dragon bone cage had strengthened them. An eternity to charge them up, and his incomplete vessel to wield its might.
Thwap! This time, it was only a slap to the face.
"'Cause you keep doing that. You're losing focus, Loki. You're gonna have to get some help to channel this power."
Jealous rage threatened to burn through him, but neither James nor Natasha cared anything for the rings. In fact, he knew they wanted him to take them off. Still, his lips drew back in a snarl that James matched him for, eyes flashing.
"I don't know what magic does to people, but I can tell this is fuckin' bullshit, man. Look, Steve said last time you siphoned off some power to make protection bracelets. Do something like that if you have to. There's more of us now, and we need protection from Selene badly."
Oh. Yes. That was easy. Loki could do that with little effort at all, and in fact was starting to pull the magic out of him. There were the threads being woven into intricate runes via impossibly tiny knots, then larger ones, then a patterned weave that was actually quite beautiful to look at, iridescent colors reminding him of Yggdrasil itself. There was so much magic here, so much power, he didn't bother to do a count of people fighting Selene and subtract the prior bracelets he had made. Twenty-eight Asgardian warriors and their commander, plus the others, and it was easy enough for him to round up and then even double it. Two for them all, double the wards of protection, sure to render them all safe.
James was staring at him agog, because he was not a creature of magic. He was a creature of flesh and blood and metal, born and then crafted. Natasha, his beautiful and clever and lovely Natasha, she had magic woven into her bones now, the gifts he and Hel had given her part of her flesh now. Any child she bore, if she chose to do so, would be able to handle the gift of magic, if any such child inherited a gift.
And as he worked, it was easy to slip sideways and see the shape of Yggdrasil, the gauzy branches of other worlds and times. Loki could see the other self that was married to Natasha, their son tall and straight, with dark hair and green eyes, quick wit and quicker movement. He had magic, this child, able to manipulate runes and seidr with ease. Yet there were other realities where the child was a girl, fiery red hair and blue eyes, lithe and athletic, with a sharp mind able to best even Loki himself. Or redheaded boys with fire in their bellies, the need to prove he was more than the sum of his parents, that he was worthy of being a Young Avenger, of being a hero and saving others.
"I think that's enough," Natasha said from the doorway. Her voice was stern, and she was drawn to the vortex of magic Loki was standing in.
"I see everything," Loki whispered, eyes intent on Yggdrasil.
"But not what's right in front of you," she replied tartly.
Just like that, the words brought him back to his body, to the taste of blood in his mouth, to the twisting bracelets still suspended in air, to James' concern for him. The body aches settled in next, soreness from holding himself so rigidly. "Oh," he murmured, feeling his body collapse in on itself suddenly. James caught him, touch gentle and careful.
"I assume the foundations for locking down Earth are set."
"And protection spells. And wards. And charms..."
"So sleep, Loki," Natasha murmured, her hands cool on the fevered skin of his face. How was he burning up? "Rest. Let us take care of you, okay? You're taking care of us, and now it's our turn to take care of you."
It sounded so good, and there was genuine caring in her expression. He couldn't help but search her face as he leaned up to kiss her hungrily. "You love me, don't you? As you love him? As you care for all your mortal friends?"
Her lips curled into something like a sad smile. "Yes, Loki. I do love you. Now sleep."
It was shock as well as contentment that fell over him. She said the words? Truly?
Smiling up at her, Loki let himself fall asleep in James' arms.
***
The Avengers and Commander Aevir met in a conference room; Aevir had declined to let his men sit in on the conference, but Pietro ran in faster than anyone could see and sat beside his sister under an invisibility spell. Natasha's eyes may have flicked there once, lips twitching in amusement, but she met Wanda's gaze head on and didn't say a word. She was grateful to her for not saying anything, and kept Pietro's hand tightly in hers. Prior to their separate training, they had always been together. It had almost grown comfortable, and now it was odd having him about the tower.
Wanda was supposed to be the go between for them and the other spell casters, but she felt closer to this group. Doctor Strange thought they would be able to cast the summoning and locking spells, then let Wanda do her unweaving while the others attacked and drew her attention. They would focus on the containment spells, Loki would lock down Midgard in case Selene did escape them. Wanda gave up trying to tell them that the containment spells were useless, and that Selene would simply smash through them like before.
"They want to do this in a less populated place," Wanda began when she had their attention. "It would be possible to do this in the Sanctum Sanctorum, but if gets loose or if the physical attacks are too large in scale, there are going to be casualties."
"Are there sacred places not in urban sprawls?" Clint asked.
"I suppose. We could always trace out the ley lines and try to find spots that possess a lot of natural energy that should help. I'd avoid the Vile Vortices-" At everyone's blank looks in her direction, Wanda stopped and shrugged. "Bad places, where all the negative energy seems to collect. The Bermuda Triangle or the Devil's Desert. So we'd want to pick a place with better energy to it, but where it's easy to travel to."
"What do you mean, easy to travel to? We have jets and flying armor?" Tony asked.
"If a positive energy spot is over the ocean, it's not going to work," Wanda replied, making Tony snap his mouth shut and nod. "They didn't settle on a particular location yet, but some would likely be easier than others. Sedona, Arizona, Tibet or Australia were their votes. Giza or major cities would be a terrible idea. It's probably why it didn't work last time, because of the size of New York."
"I might have property near Sedona, if that helps," Tony offered. He looked a little self conscious when everyone stared at him. "It's still hot there this time of year. I liked how the red rocks in the area looked." He made a swirling hand gesture. "You know. Calming. Peaceful. Made me less likely to drink so much. I kind of haven't thought about it since Afghanistan."
"I'll let the others know, then," Wanda offered. "That would be our likely place to start. The desert should also be less populated." She dug into her phone and called Marissa; no one wanted to speak in the room as she spoke to the witch. Even when she hung up a few moments later, the others remained quiet. "It looks like they want it as close to Devil's Bridge as possible."
"And that doesn't sound ominous at all," Clint snarked as a few of the others in the room exchanged worried glances.
"I promise, it just sounds bad. The devil card in Tarot just signifies change," she added, hoping to be helpful. Carol at least seemed convinced. Natasha seemed willing to go along with whatever she said about magic.
"Well, we're certainly looking to make a change," Tony quipped, pasting a grin on his face. "And with Horns locking down Earth to outsiders after she comes in, Devil's Bridge sounds about right to me."
There were groans at his bad joke and Pepper even swatted his arm. But it looked like the planning was over. Now it would be time to begin.
***
***
To Chapter Two - The Devil's Bridge