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Description
Loki stepped through the aether and entered his throne room in Jötunheim, instantly adjusting his body to the freezing temperatures of this realm.

'My Lord,' the Head of his guards greeted him, respectfully bowing.

'Gather the forces,' Loki ordered, ignoring all courtesy. 'We have to be ready as soon as possible.'

The Giant took the command without a word, just lowered his head again and left to carry out the task.

Loki watched him walk away for a second, then swallowed hard and turned to approach his crumbling throne. He needed to sit for a while. His knees were still shaking.

So he dropped on the cold, stony seat and buried his head in his hand.

Why?

Why did he give in? Why did he surrender? Why did that man have to taste so damn good?!

Loki couldn't help but remember. Their first merging, their second, their third... And with every detail his blood rushed through his veins more and more ferociously.

Why?

Loki clenched his fingers to a fist and violently slammed it down on the throne's armrest, shouting out, infuriated.

No.

This would change nothing. It would mean nothing. It should not. It must not!

Because it only would lead him down the pitfall of sentiment, rendering him weak and vulnerable.

No way!

Loki tried to calm himself, taking one deep breath after another.

Indeed, it didn't change anything. There was no turning back. Loki had made his choice. He wanted everything. Nothing less.

Even if he had to kill the Iron Man for it.

And he had to, considering the outcome of this last, fateful night. Since Loki missed his chance to transform Tony again, giving in to his desire. Due to... what? Sentiment?

Because he had already felt torn apart when Tony was taken from him? Because he wished him back by his side? What was he hoping for? That the Iron Man would join his cause voluntarily?

Ridiculous! That, of course, was never going to happen.

'Does it really have to be this way?'

Enough!

Loki needed to focus; there was no time to waste.

As Tony had revealed S.H.I.E.L.D. intended to attack at dawn, and Loki was planning to welcome them with a devastating strike. He would eradicate the Avengers - all of them - and then take over Midgard, to prepare for whatever threat Thanos might present.

Though he was well aware that even dominating two realms might not suffice to withstand the forces of Titan's mad warlord.

Shivering, Loki recalled the swift sensation of terror the Other had bestowed upon him; he knew with certainty he would rather perish and take down both realms with him than let himself get caught by Thanos.

Loki hardened his heart and, with his thoughts finally fixating on the much more urgent matter, rose from his throne to check the state of his army. In addition, he already had a very special surprise for S.H.I.E.L.D. in mind, which needed to be arranged.

Still, somehow he wasn't able to fully shake off the haunting memory of Tony Stark. His intoxicating taste, his voluptuous voice and the heat of his body, burning up in passion - as well as his dark, piercing gaze, that seemed to follow Loki's every step.

The approaching shape of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s flying fortress clouded the eastern sky and blocked out the light of the rising sun, while Loki stood atop the hotel's roof, in full armor, and impatiently awaited their arrival.

Everything was set in motion and war inevitably was about to begin.

A gentle breeze rose, carrying the roaring sound of multiple nearing vehicles, before they came in sight rolling up the big, busy street, from left and right likewise.

A majority of the heavy, black troop transporters fell back and came to a halt halfway to stay behind, assemble a line of defense and haul away the many innocent civilians; meanwhile the others arrived in front of the hotel and spat out a unit of geared-up soldiers, headed by the Hawk and the Black Widow.

The commando didn't lose a second storming the entrance and Loki smiled in a thrill of anticipation for what was to come.

'This is the NYPD,' a mechanically amplified voice suddenly resounded. 'You have been surrounded. Cease your hostile actions and drop your weapons immediately - or we will open fire.'

Loki's grin broadened. He didn't even have to turn the police forces; a simple command to their President sufficed. The men holding the lobby were fully aware, believing they had to stop a terrorist attack.

'Drop your weapons!' the speaker demanded again, with anxiously growing urgency.

A few moments of silence followed, then there was a single bang, cracking through the quiet, and a heartbeat later an ear-piercing symphony of death ascended, composed of firing guns, screaming men and shattering glass.

Loki listened to the uproar with satisfaction. Now S.H.I.E.L.D.'s first wave was distracted by killing their own people and Fury was forced to send in more troops to stop the massacre somehow: right into Loki's trap.

Indeed, the forces left behind grew nervous already, yelling orders at each other and lining up to strike, when Loki spotted the loathsome stars and stripes of Captain America among the soldiers, stepping out in front of them and resolutely taking command.

The other Avengers were still nowhere to be found, least of all the Iron Man, and Loki began to wonder when and how they would have to encounter each other again, feeling somewhat restless about it.

Then the troops began to march, closing in from east and west, led by Captain America holding up his shield in front of him like a beacon of hope.

Impatiently, Loki waited and watched them approach while they were scanning the environment on high alert, until they finally reached the designated battlefield below.

In due course, Loki lifted the scepter up, concentrated his will into it and called on its power.

At the same moment, about a hundred portals opened simultaneously, releasing up to three heavy armed Frost Giants each and bringing them in position on nearby roofs, balconies and right amidst the startled S.H.I.E.L.D. forces themselves.

This time the Jötuns opened fire immediately, not holding back in the least, wreaking havoc among the people, who instantly panicked at the sight of the grim Giants. Guns were shot randomly and without proper aim, barely causing harm to the aggressors, while the Captain desperately tried to fend off the greater part of the impacts. He couldn't protect all his men though and so the numbers of the defenders were dwindling rapidly with every blue gleaming energy discharge.

Only a few seconds had passed by, when suddenly an infuriated roar echoed up the street and the Hulk finally came into sight, jumping from building to building and tearing through the Jötun army in mindless rage.

Yet, before Loki got the chance to unleash the special arrangement he had prepared for the green beast, he could sense a very familiar disturbance within the air and already glimpsed a shadow quickly approaching from the eastern sky.

Loki killed the illusion of himself right when Thor dropped out of the heavens and was about to smash Mjölnir down at it, letting him create a grave crack in the hotel's roof instead.

'You are far too predictable, brother,' Loki taunted, deeply amused, and watched Thor shaking off his confusion, spinning around and facing him with burning eyes.

'Lookiiiii,' he growled, ridden by barely controlled wrath and already taking up an offensive stance.

Loki smiled cruelly. Good, Thor was utterly enraged, at last, and would stop his pathetic whining and begging for once.

'Let me demonstrate how a surprise is properly made,' Loki continued, mocking, and, without giving away any indication, called on the Tesseract again.

Three new portals opened nearby: bigger than the earlier ones, much bigger.

And before Thor was able to realize the upcoming danger, a pair of sharp fanged jaws broke through the gate and snarled aggressively at the startled god of thunder.

Thor hesitated just one moment too long to parry the attack, when the Frost Beast, claws ahead, jumped at him and snatched him off the roof, while five more of the giant creatures followed, zealously climbing down the hotel façade and joining the battle.

Just as predicted, the Beasts' sudden arrival also drew the Hulk's attention right away, causing him to cease his current assault and engage the far more challenging opponents in a fierce battle.

Being left alone again, Loki made a step towards the edge of the roof to check on the progress of war below, when he finally heard the long-anticipated roar of ignited jets approaching.

His heart skipped a beat, just to pound even more frantically the next moment, while the shiny red and golden armor of the Iron Man came in sight, soaring up from the urban canyon right in front of him.

For what seemed like an eternity they just stared at each other; Loki motionless, in tensed anticipation, and his fated contrary, eyes grimly gleaming, but overall impenetrable.

'So, it's just us,' Tony's distorted voice eventually noted.

Loki couldn't help but smile, knowingly remembering the man inside the suit.

'Isn't that what you wanted?' he teased. 'Considering your very late appearance.'

'I told you, I'll stop you,' Tony slowly closed in and took his landing on the roof, only a few steps apart. 'No matter what.'

'So you did,' Loki confirmed, backing away warily and already pointing the scepter at the Iron Man, yet smirking. 'Make your move, Full Metal Jacket.'

Time froze for the blink of an eye and, somehow this instant, Loki regretted he wasn't able to see Tony's face. He knew, he was smiling. Even if it was just for one brief moment.

Then, the Iron Man raised both of his arms, targeting Loki and charging the engines. A high pitched hum accompanied the blazing light building up in Tony's palms, before he finally triggered the first shot.

Loki deflected the energy with his scepter, as the Iron Man already leapt forward, coming into close quarters and trying to get a hold of the glowing staff.

Avoiding his grip just in time, Loki bent dimensions and reappeared in Tony's back, but, obviously, the human had learned this trick by now and so he spun around to welcome Loki with a heavy blow of his armored arm.

Sudden pain exploded in Loki's head and he felt his helmet fall off, while he was swept off his feet and, seconds later, gravely crashed to the ground.

It took him a moment to clear his sight and glance up at Tony threateningly planting himself right in front of him.

'Not bad,' he admitted, wiping a drop of blood from his lip. 'Yet, not good enough either.'

Loki shifted again, one time, two times, three, then placed a hit himself, throwing the Iron Man off balance and firing an energy discharge at him, which he only escaped by igniting the thrusters and hovering up.

Still in motion, the heavy suit dropped back onto Loki, dodged a well aimed blow and powered up the hand blasters once more, while Loki shifted through reality and found an opening.

The blue energy struck the Iron Man right into his side, causing sparks and driving the armor back a few steps.

Tony didn't waste any time though, quickly regained control and closed in again, repulsors pitching up.

Loki dodged, shifted, pranced, trying to find another opening and pierce the very skilled defense of the Iron Man; whereas Tony blocked, spun and charged to score a hit himself, until they finally came to a deadlock, facing each other.

Loki's scepter pointed right between the Iron Man's eyes, while he could feel the metallic hand resting on his chest, right upon his heart, powering up.

Yet, Tony hesitated to trigger the crucial blast; same as Loki, finding himself in faltering confusion all of a sudden.

Why did he stop? Why did he waver to finish this once and for all? The opportunity was perfect.

Just kill him!

Then something else happened.

Loki felt a disturbing vibration emanating from the scepter, growing stronger and more powerful every moment. And he knew this sensation terrifyingly well.

Instinctively, Loki raised his eyes up to the sky above the city of New York and found his fears confirmed by staring right into the enormous portal opening that very moment.

'Damn,' escaped his trembling lips, while pure horror made his blood run cold.

Description
Loki stepped through the aether and entered his throne room in Jötunheim, instantly adjusting his body to the freezing temperatures of this realm.

'My Lord,' the Head of his guards greeted him, respectfully bowing.

'Gather the forces,' Loki ordered, ignoring all courtesy. 'We have to be ready as soon as possible.'

The Giant took the command without a word, just lowered his head again and left to carry out the task.

Loki watched him walk away for a second, then swallowed hard and turned to approach his crumbling throne. He needed to sit for a while. His knees were still shaking.

So he dropped on the cold, stony seat and buried his head in his hand.

Why?

Why did he give in? Why did he surrender? Why did that man have to taste so damn good?!

Loki couldn't help but remember. Their first merging, their second, their third... And with every detail his blood rushed through his veins more and more ferociously.

Why?

Loki clenched his fingers to a fist and violently slammed it down on the throne's armrest, shouting out, infuriated.

No.

This would change nothing. It would mean nothing. It should not. It must not!

Because it only would lead him down the pitfall of sentiment, rendering him weak and vulnerable.

No way!

Loki tried to calm himself, taking one deep breath after another.

Indeed, it didn't change anything. There was no turning back. Loki had made his choice. He wanted everything. Nothing less.

Even if he had to kill the Iron Man for it.

And he had to, considering the outcome of this last, fateful night. Since Loki missed his chance to transform Tony again, giving in to his desire. Due to... what? Sentiment?

Because he had already felt torn apart when Tony was taken from him? Because he wished him back by his side? What was he hoping for? That the Iron Man would join his cause voluntarily?

Ridiculous! That, of course, was never going to happen.

'Does it really have to be this way?'

Enough!

Loki needed to focus; there was no time to waste.

As Tony had revealed S.H.I.E.L.D. intended to attack at dawn, and Loki was planning to welcome them with a devastating strike. He would eradicate the Avengers - all of them - and then take over Midgard, to prepare for whatever threat Thanos might present.

Though he was well aware that even dominating two realms might not suffice to withstand the forces of Titan's mad warlord.

Shivering, Loki recalled the swift sensation of terror the Other had bestowed upon him; he knew with certainty he would rather perish and take down both realms with him than let himself get caught by Thanos.

Loki hardened his heart and, with his thoughts finally fixating on the much more urgent matter, rose from his throne to check the state of his army. In addition, he already had a very special surprise for S.H.I.E.L.D. in mind, which needed to be arranged.

Still, somehow he wasn't able to fully shake off the haunting memory of Tony Stark. His intoxicating taste, his voluptuous voice and the heat of his body, burning up in passion - as well as his dark, piercing gaze, that seemed to follow Loki's every step.

The approaching shape of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s flying fortress clouded the eastern sky and blocked out the light of the rising sun, while Loki stood atop the hotel's roof, in full armor, and impatiently awaited their arrival.

Everything was set in motion and war inevitably was about to begin.

A gentle breeze rose, carrying the roaring sound of multiple nearing vehicles, before they came in sight rolling up the big, busy street, from left and right likewise.

A majority of the heavy, black troop transporters fell back and came to a halt halfway to stay behind, assemble a line of defense and haul away the many innocent civilians; meanwhile the others arrived in front of the hotel and spat out a unit of geared-up soldiers, headed by the Hawk and the Black Widow.

The commando didn't lose a second storming the entrance and Loki smiled in a thrill of anticipation for what was to come.

'This is the NYPD,' a mechanically amplified voice suddenly resounded. 'You have been surrounded. Cease your hostile actions and drop your weapons immediately - or we will open fire.'

Loki's grin broadened. He didn't even have to turn the police forces; a simple command to their President sufficed. The men holding the lobby were fully aware, believing they had to stop a terrorist attack.

'Drop your weapons!' the speaker demanded again, with anxiously growing urgency.

A few moments of silence followed, then there was a single bang, cracking through the quiet, and a heartbeat later an ear-piercing symphony of death ascended, composed of firing guns, screaming men and shattering glass.

Loki listened to the uproar with satisfaction. Now S.H.I.E.L.D.'s first wave was distracted by killing their own people and Fury was forced to send in more troops to stop the massacre somehow: right into Loki's trap.

Indeed, the forces left behind grew nervous already, yelling orders at each other and lining up to strike, when Loki spotted the loathsome stars and stripes of Captain America among the soldiers, stepping out in front of them and resolutely taking command.

The other Avengers were still nowhere to be found, least of all the Iron Man, and Loki began to wonder when and how they would have to encounter each other again, feeling somewhat restless about it.

Then the troops began to march, closing in from east and west, led by Captain America holding up his shield in front of him like a beacon of hope.

Impatiently, Loki waited and watched them approach while they were scanning the environment on high alert, until they finally reached the designated battlefield below.

In due course, Loki lifted the scepter up, concentrated his will into it and called on its power.

At the same moment, about a hundred portals opened simultaneously, releasing up to three heavy armed Frost Giants each and bringing them in position on nearby roofs, balconies and right amidst the startled S.H.I.E.L.D. forces themselves.

This time the Jötuns opened fire immediately, not holding back in the least, wreaking havoc among the people, who instantly panicked at the sight of the grim Giants. Guns were shot randomly and without proper aim, barely causing harm to the aggressors, while the Captain desperately tried to fend off the greater part of the impacts. He couldn't protect all his men though and so the numbers of the defenders were dwindling rapidly with every blue gleaming energy discharge.

Only a few seconds had passed by, when suddenly an infuriated roar echoed up the street and the Hulk finally came into sight, jumping from building to building and tearing through the Jötun army in mindless rage.

Yet, before Loki got the chance to unleash the special arrangement he had prepared for the green beast, he could sense a very familiar disturbance within the air and already glimpsed a shadow quickly approaching from the eastern sky.

Loki killed the illusion of himself right when Thor dropped out of the heavens and was about to smash Mjölnir down at it, letting him create a grave crack in the hotel's roof instead.

'You are far too predictable, brother,' Loki taunted, deeply amused, and watched Thor shaking off his confusion, spinning around and facing him with burning eyes.

'Lookiiiii,' he growled, ridden by barely controlled wrath and already taking up an offensive stance.

Loki smiled cruelly. Good, Thor was utterly enraged, at last, and would stop his pathetic whining and begging for once.

'Let me demonstrate how a surprise is properly made,' Loki continued, mocking, and, without giving away any indication, called on the Tesseract again.

Three new portals opened nearby: bigger than the earlier ones, much bigger.

And before Thor was able to realize the upcoming danger, a pair of sharp fanged jaws broke through the gate and snarled aggressively at the startled god of thunder.

Thor hesitated just one moment too long to parry the attack, when the Frost Beast, claws ahead, jumped at him and snatched him off the roof, while five more of the giant creatures followed, zealously climbing down the hotel façade and joining the battle.

Just as predicted, the Beasts' sudden arrival also drew the Hulk's attention right away, causing him to cease his current assault and engage the far more challenging opponents in a fierce battle.

Being left alone again, Loki made a step towards the edge of the roof to check on the progress of war below, when he finally heard the long-anticipated roar of ignited jets approaching.

His heart skipped a beat, just to pound even more frantically the next moment, while the shiny red and golden armor of the Iron Man came in sight, soaring up from the urban canyon right in front of him.

For what seemed like an eternity they just stared at each other; Loki motionless, in tensed anticipation, and his fated contrary, eyes grimly gleaming, but overall impenetrable.

'So, it's just us,' Tony's distorted voice eventually noted.

Loki couldn't help but smile, knowingly remembering the man inside the suit.

'Isn't that what you wanted?' he teased. 'Considering your very late appearance.'

'I told you, I'll stop you,' Tony slowly closed in and took his landing on the roof, only a few steps apart. 'No matter what.'

'So you did,' Loki confirmed, backing away warily and already pointing the scepter at the Iron Man, yet smirking. 'Make your move, Full Metal Jacket.'

Time froze for the blink of an eye and, somehow this instant, Loki regretted he wasn't able to see Tony's face. He knew, he was smiling. Even if it was just for one brief moment.

Then, the Iron Man raised both of his arms, targeting Loki and charging the engines. A high pitched hum accompanied the blazing light building up in Tony's palms, before he finally triggered the first shot.

Loki deflected the energy with his scepter, as the Iron Man already leapt forward, coming into close quarters and trying to get a hold of the glowing staff.

Avoiding his grip just in time, Loki bent dimensions and reappeared in Tony's back, but, obviously, the human had learned this trick by now and so he spun around to welcome Loki with a heavy blow of his armored arm.

Sudden pain exploded in Loki's head and he felt his helmet fall off, while he was swept off his feet and, seconds later, gravely crashed to the ground.

It took him a moment to clear his sight and glance up at Tony threateningly planting himself right in front of him.

'Not bad,' he admitted, wiping a drop of blood from his lip. 'Yet, not good enough either.'

Loki shifted again, one time, two times, three, then placed a hit himself, throwing the Iron Man off balance and firing an energy discharge at him, which he only escaped by igniting the thrusters and hovering up.

Still in motion, the heavy suit dropped back onto Loki, dodged a well aimed blow and powered up the hand blasters once more, while Loki shifted through reality and found an opening.

The blue energy struck the Iron Man right into his side, causing sparks and driving the armor back a few steps.

Tony didn't waste any time though, quickly regained control and closed in again, repulsors pitching up.

Loki dodged, shifted, pranced, trying to find another opening and pierce the very skilled defense of the Iron Man; whereas Tony blocked, spun and charged to score a hit himself, until they finally came to a deadlock, facing each other.

Loki's scepter pointed right between the Iron Man's eyes, while he could feel the metallic hand resting on his chest, right upon his heart, powering up.

Yet, Tony hesitated to trigger the crucial blast; same as Loki, finding himself in faltering confusion all of a sudden.

Why did he stop? Why did he waver to finish this once and for all? The opportunity was perfect.

Just kill him!

Then something else happened.

Loki felt a disturbing vibration emanating from the scepter, growing stronger and more powerful every moment. And he knew this sensation terrifyingly well.

Instinctively, Loki raised his eyes up to the sky above the city of New York and found his fears confirmed by staring right into the enormous portal opening that very moment.

'Damn,' escaped his trembling lips, while pure horror made his blood run cold.